No ceiling
by olansamuelle
Summary: Set between "One against an army" and "Forget me not". While Xena and a still wounded Gabrielle try to find their way back to themselves, an unexpected god sets them on a path they may not survive. ETA: EPILOGUE ADDED.
1. Chapter 1

_**No ceiling**_

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

**About the story**: 'No ceiling' takes place during season 3, after "One against an army" and before "Forget me not", and includes too mentions of episodes "The Price", "The debt II" and events revealed during the "Sin trade" episodes.

**Credits and thanks**: Livejournal user turynn, who bid for me to write a Xena story during the Queensland Flood Multifandom Auction. I'd like to thank her for her prompts and her patience in letting me time enough to make this story worth a read (I hope!). Thanks, girl!

Also, very very special thanks to LJ's staringiscaring, for she was the other bidder who helped raise money for a good cause.

_**OOOOO**_

_**Prologue**_

Ares stormed out of Zeus' chamber in high dudgeon, nostrils flaring when he saw Artemis casually leaning on one of the columns that supported the Great Hall.

"You look aggravated, brother," she said quirking her lips into a bemused smile that the goddess knew would only worsen her brother's bad mood. "Dad causing you trouble?," she drawled.

Jaws tightened and fists clenched, Ares kept walking towards Artemis casting a quick glance at the door he'd just left behind, remembering their father disapproved of quarrels under his roof. Once he reached his sister's side he grabbed her arm and, without uttering a single word, he stormed them both out of there and into his lair.

Having predicted her brother's move, Artemis needed no effort to hide surprise, limiting herself to keep smiling. "Grumpy today, aren't we?"

Snarling, Ares threw Artemis on his throne, trying, without success, to ignore the goddess' mocking laughter. "Are you stupid, going to Zeus for this?"

Artemis held her side trying to control her laughter and then propped herself up, sitting on the back of the iron ceremonial chair Ares had ordered built as a symbol of his godhood and status in Olympus, something the goddess of the amazons, of a more spartan nature, had always found pompous and unnecessary. "You're just furious because your little Warrior Princess who-will-never-be-your-pet was stained in the process, Ares." Then, in a swift move, she jumped and stood right in front of her brother, trying hard to control himself. A pity for her, considering she had woken up a little stiff and her body was claiming some workout. But if she pulled just the right strings… _Hmmmm…_"It is not a secret Xena's your Achilles' heel."

A snarl.

_Touché._

Ares grabbed Artemis by the neck and crushed her against the nearest wall, keeping the grip as he spoke between gritted teeth. "You are a fool, Artemis," replied Ares ignoring his sister's continuous invitations to fight. "Even if you're one of Dad's favorites, you think he will protect your chosen?"

Artemis' answer, however, was not what he had expected. The goddess was silent for a few seconds and then let a smirk shape her lips. "Who says I want to?" Ares' eyes grew rounder with surprise, then squinted in suspicion. Artemis didn't let go of the smirk.

"Your amazons are quite fond of that irritating blonde," said Ares, "and believe me when I say I am not guessing," he warned.

Gritting her teeth, Artemis grabbed Ares' wrist with a strong hold,forcing her brother to open his hand and release her. "The amazons will bow to my will," she said very close to Ares' face before walking past him to the center of the room, where she stopped, giving her back to him. "And if my will is to smother their actual queen–"

"Then so be it and they'll go on with their lives as happy as worms?," he said cutting Artemis' speech short and staring at her right into the eye when she turned her head and glared at him. "Leaders are not placed on their pedestals by their gods, Artemis, not even our chosen ones. They rise themselves, then build us our shrines to legitimate their glory, and thus we exist."

"We all know you're a fool, Ares. But humble to such ridiculous height?"

Ares straightened and his voice sounded stronger when he spoke. "If we didn't have worshippers there would be no temples. Another god rises as we speak, and your worries lie in killing two mortals who carry our banner. You're as blind as Dad."

"Xena carries no banner, Ares," she replied. "Especially not yours." She made a pause and smirked, in anticipation of her following dart towards the god of war. "And slaying her and her girlfriend–"

"Will bring nothing but trouble." Ares shook his head in disbelief and turned, snorting in disgust. "Way to go to keep your follower's count up, sis," he insisted.

"I reminded our father of the dangers we should be focusing on, including that Dahak you keep talking about–"

"Making sure Zeus didn't give it further consideration!," he snarled.

"And you keep talking of mortals on which your boredom depends. Who's the selfish one here?," she asked defiant.

"Everyone in Olympus knows combing my goatee's more important than Zeus' plots, so what?"

"So instead of seething, you should be thanking me for having taken a step towards wiping out that menace."

"By telling him all you had to do was killing two mortals?" He clapped twice. "Way to go, sister."

"You're a blinded fool, Ares."

Ares ignored her insult and focused on proving his point. "And tell me, how are you going to kill them?"

Artemis stood in silence for a few moments, as if considering her answer. Only as if. "Do not worry, brother. Wheels are already set in motion, I only informed Zeus, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Ares straightened slightly. Had Zeus lied to him and the whole speech had been a charade to buy Artemis time to do whatever she had planned to?

"Get ready to say goodbye to your precious warrior, Ares. This is not going to end nicely. For either of them."

_Damn._

_**OOOOO**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

**Chapter 1**

_**OOOOO**_

_**Mount Pelion. Centaur's village. Three winters ago. **_

"_Solan!" Nothing. "Ixion's burning wheel, where is that kid? Solan!" __Kaleipus called the boy again as he cantered towards the northern gates of the village. The centaur had been in the council all afternoon, and on his way back to their hut, twilight closing in, he had noticed his adopted son absent from the clearing where the centaur children played. Solan liked to vanish, seeking time to spend on his own, yet never to such late hour, not at least since—_

_"Kaleipus!"_

_The centaur stopped and turned towards the voice, seeing Chiron trotting towards him. "Be quick, Chiron," he said briskly, "it's getting dark and Solan–"_

_Panting, the centaur reached his side. "That's why I came to you, Pholos saw the boy scouting around Nephele's spring," he informed._

_Kaleipus__ grunted. That was one of the most dangerous parts of Pelion._

_"The son of Borias bears no fear within," acknowledged the older centaur._

_"Indeed." Kaleipus turned and galloped away, pace quickened and fueled by fear arising. _

_Nephele's spring lay in a small clearing, hidden among scarp rocks, and thickly hemmed by the trees surrounding the water. It was physically impossible for centaurs to climb up there, shaping the place as one full of mysteries and legends, prompting the belief that if the gods had created the spring and then had placed the centaurs there, it was their duty to guard and protect it, and if Solan had gone there…Kaleipus pursed his lips and tried not to think about it. The boy, he had to admit, was truly the child of his birth parents, as much as he wanted to deny the mother the title._

_"Kaleipus, look!"_

_A young and__ well-known voice took him from his thoughts, gratefully steering the centaur's eyes to meet a bruised and dirty Solan, approaching, irradiating happiness and carefully holding something in his hands._

_"Solan, what did I tell you about–?"_

_But the boy wouldn't listen, as usual. Far from feeling guilty, Solan looked at Kaleipus directly in the eye with a wide grin on his face. "Look what I found!," he said as he extended his hands to show his loot._

_Still serious, Kaleipus__ saw two eggs, and tilted his head in question._

_Solan'__s gaze dropped a little, as well as his tone. "I found them beside their mother," he explained with a tinge of sadness. Chin dipping to chest, he raised his eyes again. "She was dead."_

_The disappointment in the boy was evident, and Kaleipus let a moment pass, knowing what would the outcome be, and thinking of ways to lessen the blow. "Dead," he carefully said. _

_Solan nodded twice. "I was up on the dead oak to see how much land I could cover without touching the ground and–"_

_Just what in the heavens…__ "Without touching the ground, you say?" _

_For a moment Solan returned to his more usual contented stance, with relaxed features and speaking of marvels done as if they were the most logical thing. However, after so many times of living the same situation, with centaurs questioning things that were natural to him, he explained his words. "Without putting the feet on the ground," he confirmed. "Like the amazons," he continued saying when he saw no reaction from the centaur. "Did you know they climb trees and they jump among them to get where they want to?," he asked opening his eyes rounder for emphasis._

_The words alarmed Kaleipus, but he carefully kept a neutral tone so that Solan wouldn't think he was angry. "Where did you hear that, Solan? Who told you of those women?" Centaurs had been at war with them for ages, and surely the boy had heard of them in more than one occasion, but Kaleipus had been very clear, first with himself, then with the village; the son of Borias would not know of war, which had only brought dead and disgrace to his blood kindred. "Who said that?," he asked again._

"_Phantes told me," added Solan somewhat tense, sensing Kaleipus' discomfort__._

_Tyldus' willful son. Kaleipus sighed. The young centaur was always ready to pick up quarrel with the Amazons, and had passed through the village three moons before._

"_He told me how they did that,__" continued Solan, eliciting a serious look from his guardian. "He said that it looked as if they flew, and that it was very, very important to know your enemies' virtues, not just the flaws, to defeat them." _

_The centaur's eyes opened wider. He should've known Phantes would awake that side within the boy. _

"_If I know them I will be able to help in war."_

_Kaleipus__ took a deep breath and tried to hide his hands, clenched into fists to help him calm down. Then he let out a sigh, but spoke full of determination. "Clear your thoughts of wars, Solan," he said making direct eye contact. "That should not be your concern."_

_Solan began to protest__. "But–"_

_Kaleipus__ cut him, yet softening his tone, wishing to stop talking about war but unwilling to start a confrontation with the stubborn child. "Now, the eggs. Why would you bring them with you?," he asked hoping the conversation deviated from battles and wars. _

_"They were going to die alone and exposed. I brought them to take care of them. They will need a family now," he reasoned. "Here, take them," he said bringing the eggs closer to the centaur._

_Kaleipus__ opened his hands and held the oval things. No weigh. He examined them closer. He didn't know how or why, but it sometimes happened. The eggs were empty, not a trace of the tiny beings that had once dwelled in them, disowned of life by some whimsical being for a reason he could not comprehend. Then life was not always fair. Before him stood live proof of that. "Solan." He looked at the boy. "There's nothing inside." He shook them gently to further prove his words._

_"But..." Solan bit his lip, fearing what he knew Kaleipus was going to say. Not wanting him to say it, because it would confirm it._

_"I'm sorry, Solan." Kaleipus wished the boy hadn't found them._

_"It's not fair," he quietly protested, shoulders slumping and a pained expression claiming his features._

_"I know." The centaur put his arm on the boy's shoulders and pushed him gently, starting to walk back to the village. "Sometimes bad things happen, Solan, and we can't do anything to prevent it."_

_"I just didn't want that to happen again."_

_Kaleipus held his breath. Solan had always been very sensitive to orphans like him. Even if he was not a complete one. Quickly turning his mind from the secret he would always keep from him, the centaur had an idea. "Why don't you honor their memory?," he said suddenly._

_The new perspective lifted Solan's spirit. "How?"_

_"You have a skill in drawing. You know how geese look. Paint them as you should have liked them to be," suggested Kaleipus._

_Solan didn't need to think how would he like to see them. "Free. With their mother," he said receiving a sad smile from the centaur as he walked with him, already frowning in concentration._

_"I can help you, if you wish,__" offered Kaleipus. "With descriptions," he said more quietly._

_His expressive eyes shone, and Solan__ smiled at the prospect opening now for him. "Will you?"_

_Kaleipus nodded. "Of course I will__."_

_Solan kept walking, his face revealing his mind immersed in thought again__. "I think I want to paint them together, as a family."_

_"That is very nice of you, Solan. They would like that."_

_"Then I only have to use one egg," he concluded._

_"Would you like me to spare the second?," asked Kaleipus. But he noticed a slight change in Solan's face. What looked like a shy smile, wanting to reach his mouth but scare to do so._

_"No, I…__" But he didn't finish, and kept walking in silence._

_Kaleipus turned his eyes to look at him as they walked back to the village. Solan's mind was definitely somewhere else; to the unfamiliar eye, looking nowhere in particular. For a familiar one, focusing inward, moving a whole world that dwelled in his mind, of worlds out there to explore, of people who he never knew. _

"_Kaleipus?"_

_"Tell me."_

_"Would you describe my mother too?"_

_**OOO**_

**The****ssaly. Present time.**

Argo walked slowly under the heavy rain, with the calm pace imposed by the hand holding the reins and walking ahead.

The mare was soaked, and it was not like her friend to force march under such weather, at least not for long, and they had been walking for hours now, but Argo kept on, not only because of the hand that guided her, but because of the cargo she was carrying, caressing her neck with her usual gentleness and whispering in her ear.

_**O**_

"We need to get Xena to shelter, girl, this weather is making her really sick."

Argo's agreeing snort came on cue, making Gabrielle smile slightly sparing a look at Xena, who, the bard feared, was not feeling good, it partly being Gabrielle's fault. Afraid to stay in Tripoli, Xena had insisted on leaving as soon as she had woken up and she'd checked the arrow wound and her sprained ankle, which a Persian had worsened by falling on it when he jumped from the roof.

Xena hadn't said where were they going apart from confirming they had to get out of a possible war zone, assuring the bard that Pheidippides would have sent word to Athens, as the warrior had asked him to do the other day by the spring. However, something told the bard that they were heading to Potidaea and the warrior didn't want to discuss it. Perhaps not right now, she reasoned. Xena was probably buying time for the physical wounds to heal, aware of the lack of sympathy Hecuba and Herodotus still felt for her, and knowing how much that bothered Gabrielle. If they appeared like this, they would surely blame Xena for it all. The bard's chest tightened. If they only knew…

The thought of returning to her homeland unsettled Gabrielle beyond measure. Xena had shown no signs of wanting to part ways, especially not after what they'd talked that night in Tripoli, when they both thought they were going to die, but still…the wounds from another recent past were still open in both, and the lies…

The sound of a sneeze took the bard from dark thoughts, and Gabrielle welcomed the distraction, although not the cause behind it.

Xena was getting sick, and if they didn't find shelter soon, a couple of sneezes would end up turning into something far more serious.

Why was she insisting on walking? She heard the warrior's curse on the weather. "Xena, if we keep going like this you're going to get really sick. You already have sniffles."

_**O**_

Xena's frustration hadn't stopped increasing since it had started raining again. Her cloak had become a heavy weigh, enveloping her in more water than she was willing to tolerate, and the warrior had taken it off, costing her a big protest from Gabrielle, to whom Xena had stubbornly insisted on keeping hers to maintain the wound as dry as she could.

Thessaly didn't bring her good memories, and she had wanted to avoid certain lands, figuring that if they quickened their pace they would pass Meteora tomorrow, get away from those mountains, and then they could…

She had no idea of where could they go. Pain was everywhere around them.

Xena sighed heavily and cast a glance backwards. At least Argo was not protesting, apparently welcoming Gabrielle's words, whatever they were. Damn rain was deafening, she could hardly heard a thing beyond the raindrops hammering onto the metal of her armor and sword. The thought of Gabrielle still wounded and the worsening of her ankle because of that godsbedammed Persian's fall on it had prompted her to keep walking towards the caves instead of making an early stop under a tree. They were not far, and here she could take them to a dry shelter, and look at Gabrielle's wound and– "Atchooo!" _Ugh. I hate this._ Xena wiped her nose in disgust. "Damned weather," she hissed darting a glare above.

"Xena, if we keep going like this you're going to get really sick. You already have sniffles."

The answer came automatically, brought by the average stoic warrior princess rutine, branded on her like a birthmark. "No I don't." Had she heard her? With the heavy rain and up there on Argo? Was she getting that good? Xena turned her head, finding Gabrielle staring at her, clearly not in the mood for any kind of discussion, cocked head and raised eyebrows visible under the hood.

"Xena, you sneezed."

"No I didn—choo!"

"Right."

"It's just a sneeze, Gabrielle," said Xena as she kept walking, eyes already looking around for shelter, and thanking the fact that despite her not being happy to cross those lands, much less stay in them, she was reaching the area of caves she remembered from last time, because Gabrielle wasn't about to call a truce.

"And I bet your head is really hurting too."

_As if I'd been beaten with a staff. _Xena took a breath before answering."My head is perfectly fine, Gabrielle."

"Either you stop or I get down Argo and start walking by your side."

Xena stopped abruptly and turned her head. There was not a trace of bluff in Gabrielle's features, and the bard's protective albeit stubborn attitude touched something within. Truth was that she missed that side of Gabrielle, one the bard displayed only in private, claiming she was protecting the warrior's reputation, which wanted or not, was an added bonus to their protection. She'd seen a glimpse of it when Gabrielle had forced her to stay and fight the Persians, but she missed the domestic details, the little things that brought some normalcy in her ragged life. And she knew Gabrielle must have seen something change too, because her next words were softened too.

"Why don't we go up there?," she suggested signaling the rocks. "This is limestone, I'm sure it'll be full of caves."

_It is. _"Let's just walk a couple of miles more, ok? Then we rest, promise."

"Xena…"

The warrior walked towards the bard, caressing Argo's front as she approached, and as Gabrielle leaned slightly towards her she let a hand rest on her thigh. "We can't stop here, Gabrielle your ankle is still in no condition to climb those rocks, let alone in the darkness and with this weather. A few miles ahead there are lower caves, easier to reach." She smiled. "We'll be there in no time, I promise." And waited as patiently as she could for an answer.

Gabrielle considered her arguments. "Alright."

"Great, then let's–"

"On one condition."

_Damm__it._

"You ride here with me."

"Gabrielle, Argo's tired, I can't–"

"Yes you can. You said it's but a few miles, and Argo is worried about you, aren't you girl?"

_Argo, don't you even dare to sn–_

An equid snort was followed by a bardic smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Xena caved in, caressed her mare and hopped up, quickly setting herself behind Gabrielle. "I should've never let you two bond, you're worse than my mother," she said as she gathered the reins, smiling despite her mood when she felt Gabrielle's hands on hers.

_**OOO**_

_**Ephiny's amazon village. **_

Amazons were a nation ruled by traditions built over the passing of the ages, evolving little with the times, something about which Ephiny, current regent queen of the Amazons had never been fully fond of, but had always respected, never bending rules until Gabrielle and Xena had walked into their lives, uninvited but leaving a trace no one would forget in a long time, least of them her.

And what an immensely fortunate twist of fate that had been for the amazons. A wave of fresh blood and untainted minds brought in time of need, first to stop a senseless war with the centaurs, then to defeat Velasca. Gabrielle, even shattered as she was at the time, had been a light, proving her worth beyond Xena once more, leading them against the rebel amazon.

Maybe too much light. Her will to leave them, naming Ephiny regent queen, had also awakened dormant reserves in some fellow sisters, rightfully defending the fact that an amazon queen should never move following her desires, in that case her life with Xena, and being bluntly honest about it.

And some of them had been the same amazons before whom she stood in the council now, trying to stop them from declaring Gabrielle murdered and placing a death sentence upon Xena. "I will not sign that parchment until Gabrielle's death is proven," she insisted once more, her voice drained by exhaustion and the pain she was still feeling from her broken arm, still not fully healed.

"It has been weeks," said Clymene, shamaness and one of the wisest elders in the village. "And the only word we have heard of them has been that rumor of Xena alone forcing a Persian army to leave Greek soil."

"Which proves Xena is still fighting for the greater good," said Ephiny promptly.

"It also proves that our queen was not with her," added softly the elder.

"Gabrielle was hurting," managed to excuse Ephiny, "and we know that Xena is very protective of–"

"She was not that protective when she brutally dragged Gabrielle out of the village, Ephiny," interrupted Areto, wise elder yet slightly rash in her judgment. "Considering how did Xena barrel in and the little regard she held towards any who dared take a stance before her," she added shooting a very conscious glance at Ephiny's arm, "you still think you can defend both the vicious warrior and the idea of queen Gabrielle being alive?"

Ephiny took a deep breath and looked back at Areto, then at the rest of the amazons surrounding her, one by one. Not a single one showed support. As her insides slumped, Ephiny straightened her shoulders and looked back at Areto. "Yes. I do believe she's alive," she finally said. A wave of mumbling filled the hut, forcing Ephiny to rise her voice, knowing her next assertion would worsen the tension. "And I will not order Xena dead."

All amazons silenced.

Ephiny turned her eyes towards Clymene. "They are my friends," she added in a softer yet firm voice, "and they both went through horrible things. I can't lose hope in either just because of what happened," she added, moving slightly her bad arm to remind them that she had been one of Xena's victims that fateful day.

Clymene regarded her, kindness in her wrinkled face. "We all understand your emotions and the debt you feel towards the warrior, Ephiny," she said Xenan in mind, "and coming to know them we did feel for both too, but you must understand you are here today, not as friend, but as quee–"

"Regent queen," quietly corrected Ephiny. Gabrielle was the queen, and damned be all the gods, she was alive. She had to be.

"On whose behalf are you speaking today, child?"

_Child? Come on, Clymene_. The elder amazon had always been an example for Ephiny to follow; wise, determined, honest and bearing integrity and firm beliefs in her nation to the end, even if that meant hurting loved ones with chosen words. Child. One single word and Clymene had accurately reminded Ephiny that she would have to do much more if she had any hopes of swaying those undecided, currently the majority of council members. _So be it then. _"Gabrielle is a friend. And I owe Xena my life," she said addressing all amazons gathered inside. "I have never hidden my sympathies. You want–" _No. _"You, amazons, need an honest leader, one with ideas clear in her mind, strength and youth," she said giving Clymene back a glance and noticing that the shamaness approved of her boldness. "Young to be able to lead her nation into battle." Not a voice rose among other. "Our queen placed her trust on me. You all did." Ephiny paused. "I do not change my face, opinions or actions just because I know you will not agree with me at first." Silence respected her speech. "You all accepted me as your regent queen. Then respect that trust at all times."

"The council has a reason of being too," reminded her Priene.

Ephiny turned to her, never showing disrespect, but making sure to display confidence in her words. "And so I came when you summoned me today," she said. "But that does not mean I will abide to your will without discussion." Ephiny could see some elders stiffening and shifting in their chairs from the corner of her eye. "I came, and I listened to your pledges, grievances and wishes. Now it is my turn to take consideration of everything I have been told and take action according to my title."

"Keeping that untrustworthy warrior alive?," said a voice that Ephiny soon recognized as that of Lampedo.

"She lost her son in horrible circumstances," told her Ephiny. "Would you not lose mind if that happened to you?"

"Not by killing my queen in retribution," replied the other amazon.

Ephiny tensed up, the wave of anger used to strengthen her determination.

Clymene had been studying the younger Queen, acknowledging silently the conflict within one of the few young amazons that the shamaness respected for they stood by their own worth. After another tense silence she spoke, determined to bring forth reason and end a discussion that didn't seem to finish. "You sent search parties to look for them both," she told Ephiny, "and all came back with empty hands. And still with the somewhat soothing news of Xena not going back to her evil ways, there is no trace of queen Gabrielle." Clymene continued before Ephiny could protest. "You must understand that painful memories of Gabrielle being dragged out of here are quite fresh in our minds and eyes. Our position as council–"

"I do understand," said Ephiny, "but I also believe that Xena was driven by a pain I can only attempt to begin to comprehend, and…" Her eyes went directly into the shamaness'. "Did you look at her, Clymene?," she asked. "Really 'look'?" Ephiny received a nod for answer. "Then you saw the pain, did you not?" Another nod. "There were wounds, from before," explained Ephiny to the forum, remembering with sadness Gabrielle's pain when she tried to tell Ephiny what had happened, failing to do so, sentences interrupted by ragged sobs, leaving only an incoherent trail of words to follow: Hope, Lao something, a debt, Britannia, Chin.

"We live in our own world," continued Ephiny, now addressing all amazons present. "Yes, we do know loss, and pain, and sadness." A lone tear with the name Phantes on it appeared in the corner of her eye. "And war, and joy. And sisterhood." Ephiny quickly gathered herself and continued talking, the amazon's attention now visible, even Clymene's. "But we do not dwell outside our world: villages, forests…We don't expose ourselves because this is the way we live. Gabrielle does not come from this upbringing, sisters," she said. "Neither does Xena. And what they must have lived through… How can we judge them within our standards if they surpass them beyond our knowledge?"

A silent pause echoed inside the hut.

Pensive, Clymene spoke again. "Gabrielle is an amazon still, and Xena her chosen one as champion," she told Ephiny. "They bear amazon titles, and those they accepted, knowingly of the responsibilities they carry."

Truth too. But still. "I believe Xena is not capable of killing Gabrielle, and she deserves a second chance," said Ephiny as the muttering returned. "And if Xena is back to the warrior we have known her to be, then I believe that there is only one person capable of having brought her back."

"Gabrielle," provided Clymene.

Ephiny nodded.

The shamaness pursed her lips, silently looking down before raising her head and staring at the regent Queen as she spoke. "You asked me if I saw the queen's pain, and I did. I was also shown a soul shattered beyond recognition. Are you sure that wielding such argument in the warrior's favor is still the right thing to do?," she asked calmly.

The question slapped Ephiny with a raw truth, but she didn't waver, and spoke out her last chance. "I am not denying the amazon nation the right to judge Xena's actions, I am only trying to make you understand that we find ourselves before a very unique situation." _And people._ "And that they deserve for us to decide according to such." She eyed them. "Xena will not be killed without proof of the queen's death, and I will not have her brought in as a criminal either."

"Then how shall we act?," asked Priene.

Ephiny looked at the amazon. "Xena will stand trial," she announced as her final word. "A fair one. And if proven necessary," she warned to silence any cheer. Then Ephiny closed her eyes briefly and took a breath before speaking again. "And if the accusations are proved true and she is found guilty, I will personally execute Xena before this very council."

_**O**_

The way back to her hut felt eternal. Ephiny walked, clutching her hands to stop their shaking, and with her mind racing with thoughts. Had she done the right thing? What would Gabrielle do? She knew the answer to that one even before posing the question. She would forgive Xena. And the warrior? Ephiny's throat was gripped by the certainty of Xena's actions were she to stand trial with Gabrielle dead. No other amazon had seen her in that temple in Thessaly when she thought that her friend had perished, but she had. Xena would give up her life without a trace of doubt and with full conviction of that being the right thing to do. Yes, Xena would stand before the amazons, and, stoic façade placed over piled layers of hurt and pain, she would offer her life to settle agreement within the tribe and keep peace and balance for a nation slowly but steadily fading.

Because if she had killed Gabrielle in a moment of incontrollable rage, Xena would close any doors to redemption that she had dared open while being with the bard.

Sighing, the amazon entered her hut, setting her mind on a much more pleasant and needed company, leaving thoughts of sending search parties for the morrow. "Xenan?"

A young voice came from the bottom of the hut, a little room that lay behind a tapestry given to her by Tyldus as a wedding gift, on which she had set a tiny altar for Solan, following her son's shy request. "In here, Mom."

Ephiny walked inside, finding Xenan there, unusually reflective, eyes set on the ten painted eggs her son had carefully collected from Solan's belonging and that Ephiny hoped to give Xena one day.

"He was going to teach me," he said quietly.

"Honey…." Pursing her lips in sympathy, Ephiny passed her fingers between his golden locks. Her arm was still hurting and her body was demanding the calming herbs, but the amazon willed her body and mind to stay with her child, who also needed her, and she let a sad smile edge on her lips as she took a closer look at the carefully crafted eggs. If Xena could see them...

"I'm angry at him, Mom," said suddenly the young centaur.

The statement caught Ephiny by surprise. "Xenan, sweetheart, why would you say that?," she asked as she knelt in front of him, her forehead wrinkled with concern.

"He left. He will not come back to play. He made Xena cry."

His innocence so strong. So devastating. Ephiny had always told her son how had Xena saved both their lives, and the boy, blissfully ignorant of the warrior's dark past, loved Xena as much as a child could love someone he hardly knew, regarding the warrior as a hero. And his logic had been that Solan shouldn't have died, because if he were alive, nothing like this mess they were in would've happened.

A simple truth, yet so complicated...

Ephiny caressed Xenan's cheek, his blue eyes looking back at her. "Solan's death…"

Xenan looked down. "It was wrong, and I shouldn't be angry at him, I know." A few tears Ephiny knew he had been holding finally appeared, and she let the boy turn to her as she opened her arms and hugged him as tight as she could. "I miss him, Mom, he was my big brother, he took care of me, and taught me things, and always said I should not be without you for too long, and–" He burst out crying.

Ephiny held her son closer. "I know, my child, I know," she whispered.

"Halfbreeds. Never ones to trust."

Ephiny's whole body tensed up at the sound of the uninvited voice. Not letting go of the centaur boy, she raised her eyes. An imposing woman dressed in armor stood before her. Her long red hair hung loose over her shoulder blades and under a very distinct helmet, one Ephiny had seen in temple engravings, tapestries and sculptures.

Artemis.

The goddess looked at the amazon with complacent eyes. "On your knees," she observed. "Such a proper way to get acquainted with your goddess."

Xenan noticed her mother had suddenly gone very still. "Mom?"

"Do not concern yourself," said Artemis. "I wouldn't let a centaur see or hear me," she added with a sly smile.

Ephiny tightened her jaw at the offensive remark, but bit her tongue, and slowly loosened the embrace with her son until she was facing him again, concealing any signs of worry and forcing a smile. "Sweetie, I just remembered I forgot my dagger in the council. Stay here and I'll be right back, ok?"

The boy nodded. "Ok."

Ephiny ruffled his hair and stood. "That's my son. I love you, Xenan," she added, ignoring the goddess' snort, before she exited her hut towards the small clearing by the old trees, knowing the goddess wanted something of her. She used the wait time to try and calm herself.

She couldn't.

Artemis appeared out of thin air, right in front of her, smiling inwardly at the effect she was causing on the young amazon, trying desperately not to fidget. Studying her from head to toe, she made a stop and shot a glance at Ephiny's broken arm. "So you were one of her victims."

The amazon regent queen put all her effort in showing a blank face, and swallowed before speaking, trying to keep her voice as neutral as her face. "It is not every day Artemis graces us with her presence."

The answer came sharp. "It is not everyday the amazons disgrace me with their incompetence."

Ephiny found it difficult to breathe, and felt her feet pinned to the ground, unable to move, but refused to let the smiling deity see her rising panic, and found her voice somewhere in her throat. "What would you want of us?," she asked fearing the answer.

"Xena captured."

"Why?" The question escaped Ephiny's lips before she could stop it, regretting it as soon as she saw the goddess' discontent.

"Dare you question me?," she asked, her eyes boring into Ephiny's.

"No." _I only want to know why_. This time the question did die on her lips, and Ephiny tried to steer the conversation in a way that would not offend the volatile goddess. And a way to try and find out if she knew… "Some amazons believe that Xena killed our queen, and–"

"Your queen is alive and well."

The sudden and assertive answer caught Ephiny completely unaware, and at the same time gave her both joy and confusion. If Xena hadn't harmed Gabrielle, then why would Artemis want her brought in and shackled?

Her thoughts were brusquely interrupted.

"Tomorrow you will form a search party and order them to head north. They will find the warrior on their way."

It wasn't a suggestion, Ephiny knew.

"See it done, amazon, or I will," said Artemis before closing in on Ephiny, stopping so close that she knew the amazon could feel her breath on her face, as she spoke in threatening manner. "And believe me, you will not like the outcome."

_**OOOOO**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 2**_

_**Thessaly.**_

Even lit by the dim light of the moon, the landscape was beautiful. Xena looked down, trying not to see it, her memory fresh with the sight of the valley, which she had crossed on her way to Meteora, Solan's death tearing her apart.

Gabrielle had been respectfully silent, noticing Xena's tension as she sat behind her, from time to time softly rubbing the warrior's hands with her thumb, receiving a squeeze right after.

Rain was still pouring, and Xena had forced her mind out of the memories, gently nudging Argo to walk faster so they could get to the shelter sooner and the three of them could finally rest. After a few miles, she recognized the rocks. "We're almost there," she told Gabrielle.

_**OOO**_

_**Ares' lair.**_

Day had been boring. With the Persians gone from Greek soil, Ares' only hope for some entertainment was that the seemingly unstoppable forces of Rome could start an invasion so he had something to do other than sitting down. He had considered Artemis' new obsession with Xena and Gabrielle as a past time, but so far nothing had happened other than Artemis' laughable appearance before that amazon. Speaking of whom… "A visit to amazon land, is that the best you can do?," he said receiving his sister with a disinterested look.

"I planted a seed, Ares, and believe me, I know how to make it grow."

_**OOO**_

The rock shelter opened before them on the limestone wall. Still under the heavy rain, Xena dismounted Argo, yet signaling Gabrielle to remain up on the mare. "Here it is," she said as she gathered the reins and walked towards the entrance, directing the mare through the safest path for her hooves.

Gabrielle looked around, marveled by the dimensions of the cave, more than enough for the three, but knew that Xena was haunted by the place. "Xena, I feel alright," she said. "We can wait inside until it stops raining and then go somewhere else." She saw Xena stop for an instant, probably to force the smile she saw on the warrior's face when she turned her head and looked at the bard.

"It's ok, Gabrielle, and I need to check your wound."

"Xena, the wound is fine," insisted Gabrielle, "and doesn't even hurt anymore." Gabrielle moved her arm in circles. "See? No pain."

"Let me be the one to decide that, ok?," said Xena right before stopping and walking towards Gabrielle. Satisfied with the spot, the ground even enough not to cause Gabrielle's ankle further harm, Xena extended her arms to give the bard support to descend from Argo.

Taking the cloak off as she walked, Gabrielle looked up the ceiling with round eyes. "It's enormous, Xena," she said as the warrior accompanied her towards the wall, extending the furs before she helped her sit down.

"Big enough to cover us, Argo and half of Greece," said Xena in an attempt to lighten her bleak mood and not burden Gabrielle with more darkness than they already had hovering on them. "Stay here," she said, "I'll go fetch something we can burn to make a fire and–atchooo!" A sigh. "Damn."

"Xena, you're sick, and I don't think you'll find any dry wood out there."

Somewhere, Xena found a smile. "Is that a challenge?"

"Gods, Xena." But she smiled, grateful too for the light moment, even if it was just for an instant.

"We need to get dry, you said it yourself," reminded her Xena.

"We have the furs and an extra shift," challenged Gabrielle, who raised her index finger warningly when Xena began to protest. "You're stripping off your armor and changing your clothes, Warrior Princess, no way you're getting outside in the rain again."

"I'm not?," asked Xena with two raised eyebrows reminding Gabrielle who she was talking to.

"You're not."

Apparently someone to whom the bard paid no respect anymore.

"Come on, Xena, you have to take care of yourself. You're sneezing, you're drenched and you're starting to look a bit pale." Gabrielle poked her lip, baby style, and looked at her friend innocently. "Humor me?"

Xena rolled her eyes. Truth was she was feeling sick. Had been all day, but worrying about Gabrielle had been the perfect excuse to ignore herself. She spared a look outside. It was raining even harder. Finally she sighed in defeat. "I guess the smoked trout will have to do," she said as she went to the mare, unsaddling Argo and taking their bags with her.

"I put the bags under my cloak, like the furs," said Gabrielle, "they should be dry."

Xena took the clothes and her sleeping fur, unrolling it by Gabrielle's. "They are," she confirmed with a smile, and then started to take off her armor. "Do you need help with that?," she asked looking at Gabrielle's hurt shoulder as the bard started to unlace her top.

"No," said the bard. "It really doesn't hurt." Then she stopped and looked at the warrior, silent and serious unbuckling her breast plates but staring at her, quickly making up a smile when the bard's orbs met hers. "But thanks."

Xena's smile widened slightly and they both continued their respective tasks, wondering when would the time when they didn't need to ask or propose, when body contact came natural and not with fear of intruding.

_**OOO**_

"You know, sis, I still wonder how you plan on ending Xena's life with a bunch of amazons." Ares turned lazily on the throne, giving Artemis a smug look. "I mean, warrior women armed to the teeth…maybe two dozens? Home many of them can you gather that Xena didn't leave crippled in some way?"

"Enough."

Ares pursed his lips in mockery. "Enough to beat the woman who single-handedly defeated a whole Persian army?" Ares smiled and sat up on the throne, crossing his legs at the ankles. "I think I am really going to enjoy this, after all."

"No you won't," said Artemis suddenly, in no way bothered by her brother's try at irritate her. "Especially considering your talks with the blonde and with the Fates."

_**OOO**_

Xena examined carefully Gabrielle's wound. "It's closing up nicely," she said satisfied with the results of her cares. "You didn't pull any stitches."

"Wonder how could I," answered Gabrielle, earning a look from the Warrior Princess and rolling her eyes at it. "Come on, Xena, you haven't let me do anything. Can't walk, can't fish, can't cook..."

"To keep you safe and help recover."

Gabrielle stared at her. "You're worse than my mother, you know."

Xena ignored her. "Lay down, let me see your ankle." Gabrielle did as told and Xena gently took the body part in her hands. "It's still swollen," she said frowning as she probed it. "Does it still hurt?"

"A little," admitted Gabrielle.

"If you'd been walking it would hurt a lot." Xena took a clean bandage and gently placed it around the swollen area. "Damned Persian."

"I saw him coming," revealed Gabrielle, making Xena stop her task and look at her. "From the roof. But I was too weak to move, I guess, or too tired. I don't know." A finger caressed her foot. A pair of green orbs followed it to seek Xena's blue eyes. "I was so worried about you that I barely noticed him." Gabrielle paused. "I didn't want you to die," she said very quietly.

_I would have killed myself if you'd had died in that barn_. "We lived. That's what matters."

Gabrielle was pensive, but chuckled, albeit sadly. "We seem to hang on to life quite well". Tired of the distance, Gabrielle extended her arm and caressed Xena's cheek, and they shared a silent moment, Xena lost in green, Gabrielle on a pool of crystal blue. "Thanks for taking care of the wound," said Gabrielle softly. Then took Xena's hand on hers. "Now come on, lay with me, you should really rest."

"I'm not really–" But she shut her mouth. Gabrielle wasn't asking her to sleep. She wanted to go back to normalcy, not to respect through distant courtesy, and so did she. Gods, how she wanted her friend back. Swallowing back her stoic, many times stupid pride, Xena did as told, and bit back a protest when Gabrielle placed her hand on her forehead to check for a fever.

"You're a little warm."

"I feel fine, but a little rest will do no harm." Xena looked outside. It wasn't raining, it was pouring. And she was comfortably wrapped in furs, with Gabrielle by her side. "Definitely not harm." Tentatively, she took Gabrielle's hands in hers, thanking the fact that the bard didn't shy away from the touch, and even move closer to Xena, timidly but without hesitation claiming her spot, with her head on Xena's shoulder and her hand wrapped around her stomach.

"Some extra warmth won't raise your fever, right?"

The innocent remark almost made her burst out in laugh. "This body's warmth in particular you mean?," she asked, looking down to the suddenly blushing bard.

"Oh gods," she said burying her head on Xena's shoulder and shaking from silent laughter.

Xena held her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you," she whispered, finally closing her eyes and letting her body cave into the fatigue, hoping she would start dreaming again. Maybe, if she was lucky, with Solan, and all those times where he had surely smiled during his life.

_**OOO**_

_**Kaleipus**__**' centaur village. A winter and six moons ago.**_

"_Solan!"_

_Kaleipus called the boy a couple of times. _

"_So this boy…he lives with you?," asked the amazon as she corrected the young centaur's hesitant walk._

_Kaleipus nodded and told her the story, thoroughly practiced in his mind. "We found him in his dead mother's arms during Xena's siege on Corinth." The centaur felt the amazon stiffen when she heard her name, absentmindedly caressing her child protectively. He had heard the story of the centaur's miracle birth. "Phantes' brother was a friend of mine," he said, carefully studying the amazon. "Your late husband did not send you here without reason. He knew this was a safe place to raise a child. Especially if it was a boy and her mother could not keep him with her," he added quietly. _

_The truth hurt, as much as Ephiny had nailed it on her conscience. She was an amazon and her child, centaur or not, was a boy, there was no discussion around that. "At least he'll have someone to play with," she said looking at the boy._

"_And other centaur boys too," said Kaleipus. "Your son's name…"_

"_Xenan," said Ephiny. "And the rumors you've heard on his birth are true. I have a scar to prove it."_

"_And the woman who performed the miracle?"_

"_The woman I named my son after." She paused as she smiled at her son, who was stubbornly trying to trot on his own, yet never losing sight of her. "I know of your history with Xena," she told Kaleipus. "But she's changed."_

"_I heard stories," replied the centaur, "yet never believed them. Bards are quite the liers."_

_The remark brought a smile into the amazon. "Not the one who goes with her," she said with Gabrielle in her mind's eyes. "She's our queen too."_

"_Xena?," asked Kaleipus hardly hiding his disbelief. _

"_No. The bard. Gabrielle. Xena is her champion."_

"_You should beware of who you–"_

"_Kaleipus!"_

_Solan's arrival cut the conversation short, but the amazon's conviction and faith on Xena was overwhelming. And that was not the only rumor he'd heard about the now called Warrior Princess. Was the change real, indeed? Had she been turned into some kind of a heroine? _

_Ephiny watched the boy coming towards them, a grin filling his face when he saw Kaleipus. _

"_I finished another of the new geese egg!__" he said triumphantly._

_Ephiny studied the boy closer, his features somewhat familiar. He was grinning with expressive blue eyes opened as he explained with pride some kind of achievement involving a goose egg._

_Xenan saw the scene and trotted carefully but without falling, back to them, grinning and signaling to the boy with his finger. "'Look Mama, 's a boy!"_

_Ephiny smiled. "A boy, sweetheart, just like you," she said ruffling the child's hair._

"_His name is Solan," said Kaleipus. "Solan, this is Xenan, he'll come live with us very soon."_

_Solan eyed the small centaur, cocking his head to one side. "You're really small."_

"_Mama said one day I will be dis big!," he said raising his arm upwards in all its extension, provoking a chuckle in both Ephiny and Kelaipus. _

"_He'll be your brother, Solan," said the centaur, who then turned his eyes to Xenan. "Would you like that, Xenan? Would you like a brother and many other friends to play and learn with?"_

_The boy, oblivious to the pain that the situation was causing his mother, grinned at the prospective opening before him and nodded enthusiastically. _

"_Go play, boy." Xenan, still clumsily in his trot, followed Solan, leaving both adults alone. "I know it must be hard for you."_

_Ephiny swallowed twice. "I try not to think about it. It is what it is."_

_Kaleipus then decided to change the course of the conversation, trying to lift some weigh from the young amazon. "So the rumours on Xena, they're true then."_

_Ephiny simply nodded. "She saved my life, brought her best friend from the dead and stopped a war. If that is not change, may the Gods come down and strike me for lying."_

_**OOO**_

_**Thessaly. Rock shelter.**__** Present time.**_

"Damn cold," she hissed. It was still raining, and her cold was not getting better. Luckily Gabrielle was a heavy sleeper, but if she sneezed once more she would end up waking up the bard, and Xena knew that despite her feeling better, Gabrielle needed to rest, so she decided to move away. There was just a problem. Gabrielle was using the warrior princess as pillow. And damn her, but she was comfortable and warm, and it was damn cold outside.

Well, she could deal with a headache and stifling a sneeze or two, even if that added to her migraine, right?

She decided to do so. Some herbs in the morning would definitely help her feel better, but for now, a good night sl—

"So sorry. So sorry."

Xena turned. "Gabrielle? What?-"

But Gabrielle wouldn't hear her. She was talking in her sleep. Or rather, nightmare. Xena shook her. "Gabrielle, wake up, it's just a–"

But what she heard next froze her.

"I didn't want to do it, Xena, it..I'm so ashamed, please forgive me for being jealous, I…if I hand't let Ares convince me, if-"

_Ares?_ Xena feared to speak, to move, to do anything. "Gabrielle…"

"I didn't want you to go, I…why would you waste everything for a woman…and I didn't know you owed her that much, Xena I…"

Her suffering evident, the secret Gabrielle was keeping from her finally revealed before her eyes. The reason and why had Gabrielle been able to arrive in Chin before her. She'd been jealous of Lao Ma and had let Ares take her there?

"Gods, Gabrielle, how…?" No, no more reproaches. Xena decided. And no more lies. _Please, Gabrielle, you have to get through this, you have to. For us both. For you_. The warrior held her friend close. "I am sorry too, Gabrielle," she whispered as the nightmare seemed to recede. "We'll get through this, I promise. I promise."

_**OOOOO**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Thessaly. Rock shelter.**_

Gabrielle stirred. Or rather tried. She opened her eyes and found herself within Xena's arms, closed around her tighter than usual, in a protective manner. Gabrielle turned her head upwards carefully, confirming that Xena's eyes were closed, and decided to go back to her sleeping position to let her friend get as much rest as she needed. Besides, some extra sleep would not do her bad eith–

"I'm awake," came the quiet answer.

"Oh." Gabrielle lay on her side as Xena's arms loosened and propped herself on her elbow. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

_How could I sleep when I am the cause of your suffering and yet you stay with me?_ "I got the rest I deserved," she simply said managing a smile for the bard with all the confusion, pain and regret carved in her conscience. Her past and her debts had made Gabrielle pay the price one too many times.

The weakest side of her betrayed Xena, and she let out a sigh before she could stop it, earning a frown from Gabrielle, who quickly extended her arm touching Xena's forehead. "You're running a little fever, Xena."

_I feel miserable._ "I'm fine. A little headache, that's all," she said earning back a wry look.

"Your definition of fine normally matches mine for horrible."

_Which is how I fear you're feeling inside. _"How about you?," she tentatively asked. "Feeling alright?"

"Sleep helped."

The lack of openness hurt a little, but Xena knew she could not force it. The truth, whatever it was, it had to come from Gabrielle. All she could do was trying to get her in the right direction, and pray to the Fates that the bard found it before the cause of her guilt consumed her. And Ares…the bastard was part of the key.

Gabrielle peered outside, oblivious to Xena's internal turmoil. "It's early," she commented. The sky was still grey, and no sign of the sun, not even behind the clouds.

Xena didn't listen. Gabrielle's sight, her frame, slightly thinner, her limp…everything reminded her how much she had hurt her, to the point of breaking, and the thought clutched her guts. Suddenly it was difficult to breathe, the cave's dimensions disappeared under the feeling of suffocation. Xena did not recall ever feeling this way. "Gabrielle, listen," she made up an excuse as fast as she could. "Weather doesn't seem to improve, walking under the rain again might not be a good idea. I'll go fetch some wood and herbs for the fever before it starts raining, try to get a fire going, why don't you prepare that brew of yours while I'm gone?," she offered with a forced smile. Her stomach was churning.

"I could go fetch the wood while you get your herbs, Xena, we'd go faster."

_Not now, please_. "I'd rather you stay here." It came out more blunt than she had intended. _Damn you, Xena, can't you watch your mouth for a day?_

Gabrielle's shoulders slumped a little. But she knew when Xena needed time alone and didn't force it, so quickly she changed her mild disappointment for a smile. "I'll wait for you."

Xena stood in silent for an instant, scared to say anything more that could hurt Gabrielle. And she felt like she had run out of sorrys. All those past days she had chalked Gabrielle's fatigue to the wound and the exhaustion of what they had been through, but now she knew there was more. Gabrielle had buried it inside, for some reason, but to Xena it was painfully evident now, all underneath that layer Gabrielle didn't seem to be able to scruff off her skin. In her tired features, in her eyes.

Gods, her eyes, that used to be so full of life.

Dispatching her determination against her shaking insides, Xena kneeled back on the ground, in front of her. "Gabrielle."

Gabrielle turned to look at her and found the most compassionate eyes looking back at her, almost…begging? Something wailed inside. How could she hurt the bearer of her light with the most hideous of betrayals? The one who had forgiven the unforgivable, first in Chin, then… Gods, Solan; her own child's death. And now that very same person was looking at her bereft of hate, caressing her cheek and…kissing her lips.

Had she just whispered 'I love you'?

"Xena, I…"

"Shhh." Xena, still close to her face, placed her fingers on Gabrielle's lips, softly silencing her. "You just rest. We'll get through this." Timidly, Xena kissed her, this time with her eyes open. Gabrielle did that a lot when they kissed. Seeing Xena showing her love was something she marveled at, and couldn't always keep her eyes shut. It was a different way to feel her kisses, she had told her. Xena wanted her to be ok, and needed to make sure herself. "I'll be back in a bit."

Gabrielle nodded. Xena caressed her face once more and left. Selfishly, Gabrielle felt grateful for the little private moment. Her soul ached.

"How touching."

Startled, the bard turned towards the voice, that seemed to come out of nowhere.

She thought she had seen a woman before it all turned black. A woman dressed in armor and with red locks of hear hanging loose over her shoulders.

_**OOO**_

As soon as Xena exited the cave, she turned left and went upwards, as quickly as she could, out of Gabrielle's sight. Sick to her stomach from seeing Gabrielle hurting because of her, she ran all she could until her body gave up and retched. She was angry. Angry at herself, angry at the world for the pain they had inflicted on each other, for the pain she had caused her to… Gods, to the point that Gabrielle could not bare to confront the truth. And that would slowly consume her, Xena knew.

She needed to find a way for Gabrielle to face that truth.

_**OOO**_

_**Amazon village.**_

The forest was quiet at dawn, Ephiny's favorite time. Every day she woke before the first lights of the day dyed the sky in different colors and went to this very spot to train with different weapons, knowing that if she wanted to become a worthy amazon warrior she had to master them, and that could only be attained by drill and practice.

The morning after Terreis' death, she had found herself unable to practice, her mind crowded with questions regarding that young woman, who, disarmed and a stranger to the nation, had risked her life in order to protect another one. A simple peasant accompanied by a legend, tall dark and dangerous who, behind that serious and smug stance, already bore a respect and fondness of the girl that few could see. Who was that girl, that Gabrielle?

Time would have to pass before she really saw her and all the amazing layers that shaped that person, who she had seen heart broken more times than she really deserved in a million lives.

And Xena. She, too, was more than the blank threatening face, the imposing figure and the preternatural fighting skills. So much more. No wonder they were both so in l–

"You are conflicted."

Ephiny turned to look at the goddess. "I am not," she said. "I am quite clear to my purpose. A search party has been sent northbound."

"Good."

"To locate Xena and our queen and make sure they are both alright."

Displeased with the sudden comment, Artemis shot a glare to the amazon. "How dare you disobey me?"

Ephiny swallowed and stood as straight as her nerves offered. "If I find Xena innocent of the accusations, she will be left alone and keep the title of our queen's champion, if such is Gabrielle's will. If found guilty, I will execute the death penalty myself. But I will not put Xena on trial for any other crime, past or present. She has already paid enough," she said, Solan in her mind.

"I could kill you on the spot, you do know that, do you not, mortal?"

Ephiny nodded once.

"And still you defy my will."

"I only act on the nation's best interest."

A long silent tense pause ensued.

Artemis took her time to study the amazon carefully and in silence, taking her time in the task, imposing rank, relishing in seeing how was the amazon trying to hide her fear. A courageous one, albeit defiant. She would see if she dealt with her later. For the moment, her suffering for her friends' incoming pain would be enough. "Very well," she said smiling.

And with such, the goddess disappeared, leaving nothing but fear of what may come.

_**OOO**_

Ares was not pleased when Artemis reappeared still wearing the smile she had left the mortal realm with. "You gave her no chance, your plan was already in motion."

Artemis descended the two stairs towards the throne. "I gave her time to make up her mind. She chose to stay on the wrong side. Not my fault."

"You still think empty threats do the stuff, going behind their b–"

"Behind their backs?," supplied Artemis. "Like you did with your favorite and her lover, as yellow with jealousy as the blonde herself was when the warrior left for Chin?"

Ares tightened his jaw.

"Do you take me for a stupid goddess, Ares? I told you before, I know everything."

"Not everything, from what I see."

"You mean your talk with the Fates?"

"That was private," retorted Ares.

Artemis snorted. "Come on, Ares, Clotho can't lie to save her life, and Atropos is already holding the scissors to cut Xena's life thread. She's gong to die, Ares, do you really think you can save her holding that debt with the bard?"

"Your constant flaw is to underestimate mortals," he simply answered. "Step aside and let the events set on their course. And then you'll see who of us is still wrong."

"And stop having fun spoiling your plans? Come on, brother I–"

A hand raised stopped her. "Sorry sis, tall, dark and gorgeous calls, gotta go."

Before Artemis could protest, Ares was already gone.

But why had the warrior called him when she was always rejecting him?

Things were starting to get unexpectedly interesting. Artemis sat on the throne, giving her brother a moment before going to pay her own visit to the Warrior Princess.

_**OOOOO**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

Author's notes: thanks a ton for the reviews! Keep enjoying :)

_**Chapter 4**_

_Ares._

His name had been burning her since Gabrielle's nightmare. Once she'd calmed herself and regained composure, Xena climbed further from the cave entrance and called him, far enough so Gabrielle couldn't listen. "Ares!"

Xena kept walking on the gritty ground, looking upwards, her mind set on bringing him down to face her. "Ares, come down you bastard!"

The last time they had faced each other in this world had been in a place like that, with her soul shredded and her heart ripped to pieces. Ares had been the one igniting hatred, maneuvering to have her kill Gabrielle, and gods damn her, she had fallen in his trap like a fly into a spider web.

"Ares!," she shouted once more.

The voice came as undisturbed and casual as ever. "Tsk, tsk…Demanding won't take you anywhere, Xena."

Xena turned, finding the God of War tranquilly leaning on the rocky wall. "You son of a Baccae…"

"Insulting me won't do either."

"You used us."

Ares put his hand where his heart would be if he had one and contracted his eyebrows in a furrow. "The God of War using mortals! By myself, Xena, how could I?," he said in mock exaggeration, turning deadly serious just a second later. "I did what I wanted to do, princess."

Xena, far from being scared by the imposing demeanor Ares had chosen, didn't back away the slightest. "Wanting me to sway is one thing, Ares, but this was done to hurt us and that–"

Ares snorted. "Me hurting you both? Your little girlfriend has hurt herself quite on her own, Xena, and pretty well done, if you ask me." Oh yes. He'd touch the spot. "And you know what, Xena?," he added approaching her. "I think she's still doing a damn good job at it." The punch came without warning. Feral, a way to stop the tears he knew were furiously claiming their way into her face. He laughed. "A fight?"

Deadly serious, Xena braced herself, tensing muscles and closing fists. She had no chance, but inside, she knew Ares wouldn't kill her.

"Fight for what, Xena? To clean the honor of the blonde perhaps?," he suggested.

"To get this over with, Ares. You tricked her and now she's hurting because of that."

"Not just because of that, don't fool yourself." His hands opened and closed in a fist, the idea of a workout with the Warrior Princess growing appealing by the second. "And she should be hurting." He made a step towards her, wearing a smirk. "Killing a child will do that to you."

The next thing Ares saw was a blade embedded in his torso, Xena's hand holding the hilt. "Hmmm." He walked backwards deliberately. "Kind of uncomfortable. But that fire in your eyes wanting to see me impaled and dead? That's the spirit, Xena, the thirst for blood you've always craved."

"I crave no thirst, Ares, I'm not killing anyone here."

"Oh, but you would if you could, wouldn't you?" Then he reconsidered his words. "But of course you would, and it would mean little, because, tell me, Xena, what tops killing the love of your life?" He thought her heart skipped a beat, and his smile widened. _Hit a sore spot, didn't I?_ "Oh yes, that was the talk of Olympus for days." Xena charged again, and Ares rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'll humor you." Then took his sword and met the warrior's attack with the same fierceness that she did.

"Gabrielle traveled to Chin because you used her."

Ares raised his sword to the left of his body, parrying the strike and blocking Xena's push aided by his strong legs and shoulders. He couldn't help but smile. "Gabrielle followed her feelings, Xena, I merely pointed the way and offered assistance. And she accepted my help. All on her own." He remarked those last words and pushed Xena's sword away, passing onto the offensive with a set of horizontal moves aimed at her shoulders.

Xena deflected Ares' blade. "If you hadn't helped her-"

Another strike.

Parry. "You would have lost her forever." Attack. Steel against flesh.

Blood.

The truth hit her harder than Ares' blade as it hit her shoulder, and Xena lost her focus, being hit on the other arm as reward.

The warrior's indecision enraged Ares, who, frustrated, threw away the sword and punched her square on her face, with such force that Xena fell backwards. "You have a very convenient blindfold on your memory, Xena," he said as he kneeled and grabbed her from the back of her head so she was forced to face him. "You were the one putting Gabrielle on the edge of the cliff, taking her for granted as you were wrapped up in your old mentor and your memories, failing miserably to see who really gave you back your petty soul."

Ares' words felt like hot pokers in her insides.

"But don't forget this, either, Xena: it was her, not you, who took the final leap into darkness. Repeatedly."

Xena coughed some blood as she tried to breathe, task growing impossible as Ares' iron grip took hold of her neck. "All she wanted to do was save my soul."

"Wrong," he whispered in her ear before pushing her to the ground. Ares stood and studied her as she struggled to breathe and get up. During the past three winters he had never been able to get inside her head, which had offended and challenged him at the same time, making him relish his encounters with the infamous Warrior Princess. Until one day that, tired of losing, he'd tried what he had never done before; he had looked into her heart. And had seen everything. Her strength and her weakness, all coming from the same source. "All she wanted was to claim her spot in your foolish heart, you coward always holding it back. What did it take you to start being open, Xena? Death? Knowing your only chance at happiness was here and now before you took your place at eternity in Tartarus?"

Xena managed to stay on her knees, and raised her face to look at him. "I never wanted her to–"

"You never chased her away either," he said correctly interpreting Xena's intended words before she spoke them. "Don't you sell me your own crap, Xena. I know the truth. I'm a god, remember?"

Xena remained silent, swallowing one truth after another.

"She loves you, and you know it. And she will go through as many trials as the gods put her into, all to be with you. Don't get me wrong, I still hate her, but I gotta give her some credit."

"You hate her because she has what you'll never get in this lifetime. She owns me, Ares. Heart and soul."

"Heart and soul in this lifetime. Quite precise words, Xena," he said smirking. "But let's not dwell on that, that's an argument for another season." A certain contract involving Gabrielle's soul was patiently waiting for the right moment in his chamber. There'd be time for that. Now, onto the present. "You don't want to waste her soul? That is not your choice anymore, and you know it. You let that pass, Xena. There's no way back now."

"I know that," she said looking down.

"Then don't you ever push it with me again, Warrior Princess. I am who I am, and I do what I do. Do not come to me to solve your own problems."

The truth hurt. Ares had thrown his words as daggers into very raw emotions. First aimed at Gabrielle, then at her. They had both taken their choices on their own. It wasn't the gods. It was them. It was them. Realization dawning, Xena looked at Ares, standing there in quiet seriousness, waiting. "I called you and you came," she unexpectedly said.

"Took you long enough."

"You don't normally give a damn about Gabrielle."

"Oh, no. I do. She's a nuisance. A relentless one. She's hard to ignore."

"But you've never hurt her before. Never felt the need."

"You are going to ask the wrong questions, Xena," he warned.

So there was more to this, and Ares was warning her not to dig deeper.

"Running out of time, Warrior Princess."

She sighed. "This is another one of your games."

"Maybe, partly," he said cryptically. "But you're gonna have to get through it if you want to save the irritating blonde's life, and before you say anything," he said seeing Xena's hand firmly back on her sword's hilt, "that's not my doing."

Xena didn't relax at his words. "What's going on, Ares?"

"I may be pissed at your apparently epic love for each other, but my sister Artemis is not happy at all with her. I don't want her to win."

Xena's heart skipped a beat.

"Drama brewing inside already? Pissed at the fact that you're somehow in the middle of sibling rivalry and you didn't deserve it? Get over yourself, Xena, you are who you are, and you do what you do. And now Gabrielle follows your same path, so start getting used to sharing." Ares walked to Xena, standing close by her side. "And let me tell you something, as a friendly warning. Artemis is no softie when it comes to mortals pissing her off."

Xena swallowed. "Gabrielle has done nothing to her."

Ares laughed. "You mean the queen of the Amazons bringing inside her realm the daughter of an enemy of all the gods in Olympus? You should've seen my father scorned by my sister's incompetence at picking her chosen," he said shaping the truth to his convenience. "And now of course Artemis has to prove Daddy wrong or be a good daughter and get rid of the annoyance. No bad deed goes unpunished."

"Dahak was defeated," said Xena defending Gabrielle. "And Hope–" That she couldn't say.

"It is not me from whom you have to defend her," he said, carefully keeping his tone neutral and avoiding mention of Xena's son. Hope's demise was linked to the boy, a child she'd renounced to for his own safety, first giving him away and then willing her heart and soul to keep her far from him. "Gabrielle endangered her nation and let her champion hurt other amazons in order to get what she wanted, that's what Artemis sees."

What she wanted, thought Xena bleakly. She had wanted to kill her friend. To kill her soul. End with everything. Xena closed her eyes as tears threatened to stream down her face. "If there's someone to blame, that should be me, not her. That's what Artemis needs to know. You can tell her that. You can tell Zeus that."

"Sure. Because I'm Daddy's dearest," he said snorting. "As much as I would love to see how you'd get out of the trials Artemis would put you through for all your crimes against the amazons." A satisfied smile made its way on his face as Xena's eyes opened rounder when she realized what he was referring to. "Far more than I thought," he added. "Imagine my surprise when certain rumors from the northlands reached these godly ears. Oh the joy, Xena, and such a damn loss." He shook his head. "Did you have to slaughter all those amazons far away from our realm?" He sighed. "Really, your best years and you decide to take off from Greece. Understandably, Greece wasn't enough," he mused, "but still."

Cyane. Xena was livid.

"How do you know of that?," she asked with a thread of voice.

"I cared to ask. You can't pretend to go away at your best and not have me nosing around. You were conquering the world, I would expect you did it in my name."

"Does Artemis know?"

"Sadly for you, yes. And before you try that impaling me thing again, no, I didn't tell her. So start thinking about how wise does Gabrielle's decision to name you champion looks into the eyes of my sister. And I'd hurry back to Gabrielle, if I were you."

Xena's eyes grew round as she looked at him, finding Ares smirking.

"Just saying." And then he was gone.

_**OOO**_

Artemis didn't have to wait long until Ares reappeared.

"Don't worry sis, I only gave her a little push in the right direction."

Artemis hissed something and went away.

"And next time do not sit on my throne!"

_**OOO**_

Xena lost no time, running back to the cave. "Gabrielle!" In a couple of minutes she was near the entrance. "Gabrielle, get ready, we have to–"

But Gabrielle wasn't there. All their things were untouched, including the bard's staff, right by the bedroll's side.

"You will not find her, mortal."

_**OOOOO**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 5**_

Ephiny was almost out of breath from running when she reached the village, heading straight for the council until the voice of her son stopped her.

"Mom!"

Ephiny turned briskly to the urgent tone of his voice. "Xenan, what's wrong?"

"They left, mom!," he said as he reached her side panting.

Ephiny kneeled and placed a hand on Xenan's shoulder. "Who left?"

"The amazons, mom. They were saying horrible things and told me to stay away, and–"

Ephiny tried to calm Xenan down, careful not to use a voice that exposed how tense she was. herself "Honey, do you know why and where those amazons went?"

"They carried their weapons, and…" He swallowed. "They said they were going to kill Xena," he finally said. "Because you told them to," he added in a quiet voice. "Mom, did you really do that?"

_It all had been a lie? Artemis' threats? It was already planned before __I could have a say?_ Ephiny cursed in silence. She had been played all along. "They told you that, sweetie?"

Xenan nodded. "That's why I came to find you, I didn't believe them, and so I told them, but they wouldn't pay attention to me."

"Xenan, I didn't order anybody to do such a thing, believe me, but I need you to tell me if they said why."

"They said…they said Xena killed Gabrielle. Mom, I…I know she got really angry and sad, and she scared me when I entered the hut and she was with Solan, and Solan was…" Xenan looked down bit his lip before saying it, receiving a silent caress from his mother, at whom he looked again. "But mom, I don't want her dead, and I don't think she ever wanted to hurt Gabrielle, and I want to give her Solan's geese eggs, and…" He sniffled. "She was so sad."

Ephiny's heart broke a little.

"Can't you make everything right?"

Ephiny hugged Xenan tight. "I'll do my best, I swear," she promised solemnly. "You must believe Xena did nothing wrong to Gabrielle, ok?" She felt the boy nod against her shoulder. "Someone…someone very powerful made the amazons believe she did, but I am going to get them and find Xena too, ok?"

"Ok."

"Go back home, sweetie, I will ask Mira to take care of you while I'm gone."

Xenan left, more calmed, leaving Ephiny alone, her mind racing and silently cursing on Artemis' name.

_**OOO**_

_**Chin. Moons ago.**_

_Her silk dress was soaked, the delicate fabric probably wasted with the muddy water that covered her legs as she walked towards the silent figure sitting on the cold stone._

_She did not care._

_Each step felt more and more heavy, as an invisible hand closed around her heart. Words died on her lips. What could she possibly tell Xena when she had been the one betraying her, even if all she wanted was to protect her?_

_The truth._

_She looked at the warrior, sitting, there, ignoring everything around her. Ignoring her. The water, the cold, the other prisoners…_

_The truth, Gabrielle. Tell her the truth._

_Gabrielle heard the jail door close behind her, but all she could see or hear was Xena. And that silence coming from the warrior…It was so loud it hurt._

_Her tunic, heavy with the water, made her walk slowly, and Gabrielle looked down as she circled Xena, to stand by her side, unable to confront her face to face._

_The truth?_

_She kept a little distance and straightened herself. If Xena wanted to slap her, the warrior deserved a clear target. "Can we talk?" The blue orbs, framed by the dark circles around her eyes, stared into nothingness. Could they talk? After that? You fool. "Of course not," she'd told herself, tears already claiming her throat._

_The truth._

"_I betrayed you."_

_Had Xena fidgeted?_

"_The pathetic thing is…I thought I was saving you." I was jealous. "My reverence for life kept a brutal tyrant in power and led to my best friend's execution." I was jealous of the first person who could have given your soul back and I don't have the guts to tell you. _

_And I deserve no more than your silence. And your hate._

"_I know you hate me, Xena." How could you not? "No more than I hate myself." The truth._

_Your hate. Nothing else. Bring it, Xena, give yourself the satisfaction. Please. Hate me, because I can't live with myself after what I have done._

_And then Gabrielle froze as Xena moved her arms to help her strained body stand, and the bard breathed, content that her friend would take revenge. _

_Hate me._

_Gabrielle raised her eyes as the warrior stood before her._

_I'm here. I will not defend myself._

_She expected a cry of rage coming right out from Xena's throat, and her face to hurt from the blow. Gabrielle hoped it would hurt, because she deserved it like she had never deserved anything else in her life. And so she braced herself, with her eyes open, as Xena had the right to be able to look into the face of that who had betrayed her._

_I will not move, Xena I will let you beat me as much as your heart desir–_

"_Scratch my nose, will you?"_

_She spoke the simple request with infinite softness, reaching into Gabrielle's soul with devastating force. _

_Gabrielle had carefully tucked that bittersweet memory in the back of her mind, and deep within her heart. Maybe one day she would feel worthy of that love which seemed to see no end._

But that day would take its time to come. The grim feeling took her out of the dream as the bard woke up.

Where was she?

_**OOO**_

Xena stood straight in front of the goddess, a blank face and all of her determination framing her entire self. "Where is she?"

Artemis cocked her head to one side as she curiously studied the woman before her. So this was the famous warrior princess Ares wouldn't stop bragging about. There was not a muscle in her that wasn't tensed at the presence of the goddess. Breaking her would be fun, she decided.

"Where is she?," came the question again.

"Far. Where you cannot reach," said Artemis in a taunting voice, wanting the warrior woman to attack, check if she lived up to her reputation, and then decide what she would do about it. If she gave her enough satisfaction, she could always forget what had happened in amazon northlands. After all that was not her realm.

Artemis' body language was evident, observed Xena. The goddess wanted a fight, and Xena was struggling hard not to launch herself at her in a combat she surely had no chance at. Every single cell in her body itched, but she knew that was not what Gabrielle needed right now. Just what Artemis wanted. And to give a god what the god wanted… that was not always the wisest choice for a mortal.

Still, sometimes…

"Far won't cut it." That merely got an eyebrow raised. _C'mon, Xena, you know how to push the gods_. "Where's Gabrielle?" More silence. "Tell me!"

Artemis smirked. "I guess that's my cue."

Xena braced herself when she saw the goddess charging, the force of the blow throwing her backwards and making the warrior lose her balance, falling hard on the ground. The grit embedded itself on Xena's skin. Swallowing back the pain, she tried to stand only to be roughly pushed back by Artemis' foot.

"Demand again and I will end your worthless life right here," snarled Artemis as she pinned Xena to the ground.

"You t-took Gabrielle a-away, and sh-she did no-nothing to d-deserve it." The Goddess' strength was incredible, all Xena could do was keep the foot away enough so she did not choke, and hope her boldness would not end up in both their deaths.

"You mortals confuse me," said Artemis. "She caused the death of your son and still you would defy a god for her?"

"I don't…expect you t-to understand."

Artemis wondered if Ares had learned that foolish philosophy of respecting the mortals from the woman, or the other way around. "Good one, warrior." Artemis strengthened the pressure on Xena's sternum.

"Wh-where did y-you take her?"

Xena's relentlessness was interesting. Perhaps if she didn't stop this here she would find further entertain in it. Finally deciding it was worth a try, Artemis released Xena and let the warrior gather her breath. "She is in a cave. Dying."

Xena stood up, that last word hurting like a thousand arrows thrown at her. "She didn't offend you, Artemis, it was m—" The blow came fast, hard and unannounced. Xena almost bit her tongue and spit the blood and the tooth the punch had plucked from her jaw. With no time to react, she almost ran out of air again when Artemis' hand grabbed her throat and elevated her. In pure instinct, Xena grasped the goddess' hands in a futile effort to free herself right before she was violently pushed against a rock.

"How dare you?," snarled Artemis, "of all mortals on this earth, you who decimated an amazon nation, question me when I have given you a chance to save her?" Tired blue eyes looked back.

"The gods have never helped me. I can't afford to believe you blindly when her life's at stake. She has to live."

"Then you find yourself at a crossroads, warrior. You will defy the one god that can save her worthless life, claiming that is all you want. What shall I do now?" It was merely a rhetorical question, Artemis hadn't anticipated what happened next. The mortal closed her eyes and shed one single tear. And then she let herself loose, stopped fighting the grip. Slightly confused, Artemis loosened her hands and Xena kneeled before her.

And for the first time in her entire existence, the goddess did not know how to react.

"My life for hers," she whispered. "She didn't kill nor hurt her kind. I did."

"I saw her soul when I took her." Two startled blue eyes looked back at her. Artemis shook her head. "She would find a way back to you."

And Xena realized, with terror, that Artemis had spoken the truth. Gabrielle would not accept her death. Not if she lived. Not anymore. _Xena, you selfish stupid—how could you do that to her? Why did you let her—_

_Play time's over, warrior. _"The queen of my amazons has given her heart and soul to a woman who would not doubt an instant in killing whoever she had to, regardless of origin. And that includes my people. So you see where my problem lies." There was a change in Xena's face. The sorrow and confusion silently gave way to contained rage and resolve as she slowly raised her eyes towards her.

"If she dies I will find a way to kill you. I will find a way, Artemis, no matter how hard, or how many times I must die, but I swear it, I will."

A smile edged Artemis as Xena's assertion gave way to another possibility of handling that, one that had been playing in her mind already. "Oh, I know you will."

Artemis' simple answer hit her back with another truth. Xena's eyes opened wide as realization hit her. Not only she had spoken something that she knew was within her. Artemis knew too. "You…"

"Ares did not confirm it to you, neither will I, warrior. But if you can make that threat real…" _I wonder how it would feel to know a part of you belongs to someone you despise as much as the god of war. _"You can stay in denial if you wish. Won't do your friend any good."

It was true, then. The rumors, the question she'd been asking herself ever since Ares had sent the furies after her. Was she part-god? Was she a child of Ares? The thought had sickened her, she'd buried it in the back of her mind.

"I feel like playing with you, and you have no other chance than playing the game. Face your truth, or die in the process."

"You never took interest on me before. Why now?"

"I have my reasons. Could be a thousand things. Could be I just felt like it. Could be a competition with my brother."

"Then use me but leave her alone."

"Oh no, that I can't do. The queen has endangered her nation, my nation, not only by bringing in the daughter of Dahak, but by choosing you over the amazons, the very same person that not long ago, wanted to kill her viciously."

"Gabrielle doesn't know how to hate."

Artemis considered her words. Only for an instant. "That's not what she said on the top of that cliff."

And the words still echoed in the back of her mind. "We survived."

"You did not deserve it."

"And yet here I am. Being punished for it by you."

The corner of Artemis' mouth curved up slightly.

"You have placed Gabrielle's life in my hands so if she dies the guilt lies on me."

"I would see that as enough motivation to stop the chattering and get to the point," replied the goddess, tired of the conversation.

"Tell me where she is."

"There is a cave up north, in the white mountains. You've heard of it?"

_**O**__**O**_

_Xena sat on a fallen log, her left hand absently fiddling with her hat, the right one on her belly._

"_You're with child."_

_Xena turned her head briskly, but saw no one, and cursed herself for not having heard the queen approaching. "Damn thing is clouding my senses," she spat with disgust._

"_Your eyes said otherwise," teased Cyane. She'd found this fierce woman interesting. There was raw potential waiting to be polished, ready to fall into either side, despite she was closer to the dark. Their first encounter had been a refreshing fun, but something in her eyes, when she was alone, had moved Cyane. And she'd wanted to help. But whenever she was up, all her defenses were up like… "You're like the white rocks."_

"_Rocks are not white," she said. "And I've seen quite of them to know."_

"_Not the ones I'm talking about." Cyane had soon discovered that the woman was attracted to challenges like bees to honey, so she tempted her with them. In an instant, she had the pair of blue eyes intently set on her. "Peaks beyond your eyes' reach grow in your lands, Xena, and believe me, they are white. And each time one tries to enter them, they throw all kinds of defenses to test if the stranger is worthy of knowing them." _

"_I don't care about rocks."_

"_It's a place of reunion. And of eternal rest."_

_Xena snorted. "That where you'll lie when you're dead?"_

_Cyane nodded once. "If I live long enough to deserve it." Cyane studied the woman, struggling to appear nonchalant and disinterested. Why did she always fight against attempts at friendship. Did she not consider herself worthy? Were they a weakness to her?_

"_I ain't gonna be there, so why tell me that?"_

"_Warriors who know the shamanist ways are honored to take the queen to her final rest."_

_An eyebrow raised. __"Are you offering me to become your subordinate?"_

"_No. I'm offering you the opportunity to become a powerful warrior with the ancient knowledge of our ancestral magic."_

_**OO**_

And giving her a sly smile, Xena had let Cyane reveal her the cave and its secrets, or at least some of them, she'd figured, as she idly considered joining those women. Another step into the wrong direction. "I know the cave," she said quietly.

"You are the champion of the Greek amazon's queen. Prove yourself, or watch her die."

And the heavens cracked open, rain falling heavily on her beaten body.

Artemis stood there, untouched by the raindrops, watching her. It would be an interesting outcome. If Gabrielle died she would not have to worry about Xena and the prophecies about the twilight of the Gods she knew the Fates had not told Ares about. Because Gabrielle's death on her conscience, life would be the worst of damnations for the warrior.

_**OOO**_

It was dark all around, and she found herself standing when she woke up, all disoriented and confused. First of all she checked her eyes, finding out there was no blindfold blocking her sight.

"Xena?"

There was no answer.

Gabrielle took two deep breaths to calm herself down, focus and help her body familiarize with her surroundings. It was damp. More than in the rock shelter where they had spent the night. So she was in a cave but not the one where they had been. So there was a chance her sight was ok. It was colder too. Still fuzzy, Gabrielle forced her ears to work, and soon sounds began to take shape.

She heard water. Two kinds. Some constant dripping coming from, she guessed, the ceiling, and then a more distant stream flow somewhere below.

Xena had once told her that some rivers ran across caves.

The water was better than silence, she decided. It could be a way out. Just one problem. She could not move her feet, and her sprained ankle was beginning to hurt more.

Willing her arms not to shake, she extended them carefully, receiving a slight jolt of pain from the arrow wound. Void welcomed her on her right side. The left hand, however, touched a wrinkled hard surface, cold and humid. She traced the area with the tip of her fingers. Definitely a cave. But which one?

And what was at her feet?

Hands trembling, Gabrielle swallowed as she crouched to meet whatever was keeping her stuck. Something surrounded her feet. Something cold, but smooth, not the same stone that made the cave. It was different. Like a crystal.

_Crystal __can be broken_. Fueled by the knowledge, Gabrielle closed her hand into a fist, breathed twice and concentrated. Then led her arm backwards and threw a punch onto the crystal.

She almost bit her tongue from the pain. Her other hand shakily checked the surface. The crystal was unscathed with liquid streaming down the surface; her blood surely staining it now.

"Xena…" She sighed in defeat and remained crouched for some time, letting the pain in her knuckles subside. Until something happened. Something she did not expect, to what she didn't know what to do.

It moved. The crystal moved. In a few moments, until it stopped again, Gabrielle found herself trapped by an unbreakable matter now covering her above her ankles.

_**OOO**__**OO**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 6**_

_Damn her, damn her!_ Ephiny ran into the forest, climbing up the trees as soon as she reached the old oaks to catch sight of the amazons, now knowing that Artemis' appearance had been meant to stall her. The goddess had had her vengeance planned before that.

But why? Why did she want Xena so badly? She had to reach the warrior and Gabrielle first, there was no way to predict what could happen if her amazons found them, even if they saw Gabrielle alive.

_**OOO**_

Xena pushed Argo to her limits. As soon as she'd reached the cave, she had grabbed whatever she thought she'd need and jumped on the horse's bare back, ignoring her own pain from the beating she'd taken from Ares and Artemis, and not wasting time on saddling the mare.

She'd been traveling for some time now, forcing herself to remain awake, the pain on her body from her fight with Ares and Artemis threatening to take its toll. When she recognized the sound it was too late to avoid it. "Ungh!" Disorientation lasted but a second, soon followed by a very familiar jolt of pain as the projectile pierced her back. Xena's hand moved in pure instinct, and her eyes could see the arrowhead sticking out her side. In pure rage, the warrior turned Argo, thinking that whoever had intention of stopping her from getting to Gabrielle was simply— "Antiop?"

One of Gabrielle's most loyal Amazons, a girl not older than the bard when Xena had met her, stood defiant, still grasping her bow. Xena loosened her grip on the chakram, angry because she knew that somewhere, Artemis was watching this with glee.

"Get down, Xena," said the amazon with a firm voice and an eerie blank face.

Slowly and as steadily as the wounds let her, Xena descended from Argo. Blacking out was so appealing. She could feel a damp slight cold streaming down her leg. The arrow wound was starting to bleed profusely, and all Xena could think of was that she didn't have time for that. She gave Argo a silent command, and hoped not to fall flat on the ground once the mare left her side and she had nothing to support her. If Antiop was the amazon commanding this party, at least she knew that Ephiny was not involved, and there was still hope if the regent queen understood when she saw Argo arriving at the village, and prayed that she would forget about the what had happened between them when she had tried to reason with her.

Miraculously Xena found balance, and stood, directing her tired eyes towards the young amazon. "Antiop, I need to go, G–"

"Shut up."

The warrior unwillingly raised her arms with her hands clasped in sign of surrender so she had a chance to be listened to. "Gabrielle's in trouble, I—I need to get to her," she said. "Soon."

"Gabrielle is dead."

_Artemis, you…_"No she's not." Her voice was weak, almost a whisper.

"Liar."

Xena cursed in silence, breathed and forced again the pain to go away. It didn't. "Artemis took her away, Antiop, and I'm the only one who knows where she is. You need to let me go get her."

The girl didn't even blink. "The goddess warned us of your tricks."

The answer came out of her mouth before she had time to swallow it back. "Artemis fooled you like a flock of sheep." Pleasantries were over, she guessed as she readied herself for another fight. Fates knew her whole body was hurting like Tartarus, but gods be damned if she'd let them win. Her sharp ears took in the area. Five amazons surrounded her, two in the trees, three behind.

Xena knew she was in no condition to catch any arrows, and she knew that at least three of them were aiming at her with bows. _Talking your way out of this one. That's a new one, Xena._ "Antiop, listen to me. Gabrielle is alive and trapped in a cave up north, near Meteora. I really need to get there right now."

"I have orders to take you back to the village, Xena."

"Not from your regent queen." She was answered with a hesitant silence, and Xena tried to take advantage of that."If Ephiny didn't give the order, it means that Artemis could not fool her, don't you see?"

"I do not believe you."

Xena pleaded with her eyes. "Then believe Ephiny. Antiop, please, take me back to the village, let Eph–"

"Amazons, charge!"

There was no time to react. Three bodies fell on Xena, almost throwing her down to the ground, immediately after attacking her with punches and kicks, some purposely aimed at her side. Xena could do nothing but deflect the blows as they came while she desperately tried to break the shaft of the arrow, whose constant move by the amazon's bodies was worsening the wound, inflicting far more pain than she was willing to bear before she was forced to do some damage herself. Because all she knew was that she needed to get to Gabrielle.

_**OOO**_

The sound the crystal made each time it grew had turned sickening, and all her efforts to break it had been in vain. _Well, I've been punished alright_. _And I can't even talk my way out of this one._

_Can I? _A thought occurred to Gabrielle."I mean," she started speaking, timidly, looking around in the darkness, "whatever…whoever you are, you won't let me free or at least let me know why am I in this situation, will you?" The silence she got as answer deepened her growing grim mood. "I didn't think so," she whispered.

The woman with red hair, that was the only thing Gabrielle remembered, and she didn't know who she was, only that at least this didn't seem related to Dahak, but then again…what did she really know about him…it when all they had done was turn their backs and minds, trying to forget?

"No," she said shaking her head. This was not about Dahak. It was something else, someone else. And Xena would find out.

The thought of her warmed Gabrielle a little, allowed her to think about something else other than bleak thoughts and the throbbing pain from her blocked ankle on which she was forced to stand on. "At least the shoulder doesn't hurt as much." A little smile made its way onto her mouth. "Right as usual, Xena, your care did work."

And then the sound came again, and the crystal grew above her knees.

_**OOO**_

Ephiny descended the trees in the clearing. The path dug on the grass allowed a quicker pace in that part of the forest, and not leaving traces was not the point at the moment.

Suddenly she heard a noise in front of her. Hooves, galloping towards her. A hopeful thought; perhaps the centaurs were coming this way to visit. She could surely use their h—"Argo?"

Xena's mare appeared between the trees, galloping towards her. _No, not only that. She's going to our village! _Ephiny raised her arm. "Argo, halt!" The amazon wasn't very confident the mare had listened to her, but trusted the animal was coming for help, and stepped in the middle of the way, hoping the palomino would recognize her. "Argo, stop!"

The sounds of the hooves came dangerously closer. Then a neigh, and a snort, and everything calmed down, except for the horse's breathing, showing clear signs of fatigue. Ephiny reacted quickly and ran the short distance separating her from Xena's mare, quickly caressing her frontline to calm the animal down. "Good girl, good girl." Ephiny made a swift inspection on the animal to check for wounds. There were some drops of blood, but not from her. Ephiny's jaw tightened. There was no saddle either, and that was not like Xena. Something had made her mount Argo like that and, wounded, send the mare off for help.

And the only thing that came to mind was Gabrielle in danger.

Ephiny looked the mare into the eye, hoping the animal would understand. "Argo, can you take me to Xena?"

The horse stilled automatically upon hearing the warrior's name, letting Ephiny climb on her back, which the amazon did in one swift move. "Good girl. Let's go." And Argo did, bolting back to where she had left her friend.

_**OOO**__**OO**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Olympus. Great Hall.**_

"Having fun?"

Artemis walked past him. "I am beginning to understand your infatuation with the warrior," she said as she walked to her chambers. "She always accepts the challenge," she added with a smirk her brother would not see.

_**OOO**_

_**Forest in Thessaly.**_

Everything hurt. The pain from the arrow wound had subsided only because the constant blows were numbing her senses.

Xena had managed to break a bone here and there, inflict enough pain to disable the amazons but without serious damage. Still, they were relentless, fueled by what seemed an invincible force given by Artemis.

She gritted her teeth in rage as she intensified the fighting. They were making her lose time, and time was a luxury she didn't have. "Enough!" A surge of strength ignited her body again, and she started to deflect punches she was not seeing come but by pure instinct.

"Surrender and we'll stop!," said one of the amazons.

"If I do Gabrielle dies." Her fist found its way to Antiop's stomach, then sought more targets. "So consider your chances here."

"Stop!"

A kick on her lower back dragged a scream out of her, but the voice spoke again, more clear now. Xena recognized it.

"I said stop it!"

Xena was disoriented, but the voice sounded closer, and suddenly she felt the weigh upon her being lifted.

"Get off her back, now!"

And she was free, and the familiar voice spoke again, first shouting. "Stay there!" Then soothing, and directed to her. "Hey."

Exhausted, Xena fell on her knees, desperately trying to recover her breath and assess the injuries to know which needed treatment now and which would have to wait until Gabrielle was safe, smiling despite the pain to see that only the arrow needed first aid. Without giving it much thought and ignoring the rumble of muttering around, Xena pulled the shaft out of her body biting back a scream. Now she had to–

A hand stopped her, and she remembered she was not alone. The voice spoke again, this time close to her, at the same time that Xena realized she hadn't fallen onto the ground because a pair of arms were supporting her. "Gods, I'm so sorry, Xena."

One of the hands was firmly placed on one of the ends of the arrow wound as the other directed Xena's arms around her shoulders and it quickly wrapped a bandage around her torso over a cloth set there to stop the bleeding. "Your mare scared the Hades out of me. Did you train her to do those jumps?"

Xena chuckled and immediately regretted it. "W-well trained, Ephiny. Just like your am-amazons." She took a breath, and realized Ephiny was using only one arm, because the other was broken, still unhealed. "I owe you an apology, I–"

Ephiny's face was serious, quickly fastening the bandage as a feeble first aid. "Don't you even dare." She'd found in terror that Gabrielle was not with Xena and that meant that if the queen was in danger, the warrior would not care to get to a healer any time soon. "And the amazons? Apparently all muscle and no brain," she said darting a glare to the group of women standing and tense, probably ready to take back their prisoner. Then she looked back at the warrior. "Xena, you're badly hurt," she said wincing at the sight.

Xena's face revealed no emotion. "Nothing broken," she simply said as she tried to stand. "Thanks for this," she said honestly, "it'll stop the bleeding."

"Xena you…" But she knew there was no way to stop her. Xena was already searching Argo with her eyes, finding the mare standing not far, patiently waiting for her. "At least let me take care of your wounds," whispered Ephiny in a pleading tone with her hand on the warrior's back.

Xena stood and walked towards Argo as steadily as her battered body let her, and once by her side she let her forehead rest on the mare's for a moment, to gather herself. The presence of the animal soothed her a little. Now she could go to get her. "Gabrielle needs me, I have to go," she said knowing that despite her opinion, Ephiny would understand.

Antiop walked resolved toward the woman. "You're not-!"

But she was stopped by a very serious regent queen. "She is. And don't you even dare stop her."

"We were ordered by Artemis," said another amazon.

"Artemis lied to you," snarled Ephiny. "I don't care what she told you, Portia," she said as she saw Xena carefully mounting on Argo. "Gabrielle is alive." _But safe?_ Fearing the answer to that question, Ephiny turned her head, seeing Xena already on her mare, barely holding on to her, but refusing to succumb to the pain.

The warrior walked towards Ephiny. "Artemis took her somewhere, I have to get there before it's too late."

Ephiny wanted to protest, wanted to tell Xena to go get a healer, that wherever Gabrielle was being kept, she would understand, she would want her to take care of herself before engaging on a dangerous quest. But the look of determination in those blue eyes was saying that regardless of her condition, she would find Gabrielle and get her back safely, even if it meant dying in the process.

All memories of hate, fear, rage and a broken arm faded under the power of that look. Ephiny couldn't but nod and return the determined face with an equal one full of trust. "Go, bring her back. And be safe."

Xena nodded in silent gratitude and left.

The other amazons' reaction didn't let itself wait. "You shouldn't have left her go," said one of them.

Ephiny's eyes were still set on the direction Xena had taken. "She's Gabrielle's only chance."

"But Gabrielle is dead, Xena killed her, don't you see?"

"Artemis lied, Antiop," said Ephiny. "Gabrielle is very much alive. It was the goddess who took her away."

Silence. "Why?" The question revealed an unconvinced tone. They didn't believe her.

"Only the gods know," was the only answer she could give them.

"She hurt you, Ephiny," said Antiop, "and still you let her go. She's our enemy, don't you see?"

Ephiny shook her head. "I only see a friend desperate and scared."

"Scared of what? She's fearless!"

_If you could only begin to understand._ Ephiny sighed. "The only thing you need to know now is that our queen is in serious trouble, and the woman you tried to stop is her only chance. If your mind is so thick that it does not understand the pain they both went through and can't see that their mutual love is stronger than the gods' whims–"

"You say Xena is the one person that can save our queen from something we do not know?"

"Yes."

"And if she fails?"

"Gabrielle will die and Xena be destroyed in the process. A fate worse than death." Ephiny turned and walked away, realizing then it had been raining all along.

_**OOO**__**OO**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

**Note**: apologies for the 'late' update, since I'd been posting daily: didn't feel like letting me upload this one for a couple of days :)

**Another note:** Thanks for the comments and faves!

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Thessaly**_

Heavens refused to stop pouring rain, making it increasingly difficult for Xena to see under the thick curtain of rain. The warrior struggled against unconsciousness, ironically thankful for the pain being greater than her wish to blackout. But she knew the gaping wound needed further care, and soon. "Come on, girl," she encouraged Argo to keep trotting, "I can already see the foot of the mountains."

Xena had set course northbound, crossing forest and clearings until she found the river and followed its course upwards, towards the mountains, soon reaching the canyon the water had carved into the rock through the passing of the winters.

Nightfall had caught her there, but she knew that Gabrielle didn't have much time, and she could not rest until she reached the foot of the range that held the white peaks.

She had only made one quick stop at a spring to let Argo drink and to catch a trout for her to eat, thankful that the water was keeping the temperature low. With a little luck, the fish would still be fresh when she got to a place where she could eat it.

Now she was there.

Even in the night, the crescent moon revealed the majestic peaks as its light reflected on the walls. That color only happened during the night, and at daylight the sky was usually covered in thick clouds that concealed the peaks most days.

Xena dismounted Argo, wincing in pain and almost losing her balance when she reached the ground, the only reason she was still standing being her hands, gripping the reins with sheer determination. With endless patience, the warrior let the dizziness fade before daring to move.

It had stopped raining a little time before, the high peaks probably acting as a natural barrier for the clouds. Leaving Argo in the clearing, Xena started to check her surroundings, trying to see if there was a place that would allow her to climb easily first, and then finding a shelter for her to spend the remains of the night.

Soon she found the tracks of a small herd of animals directed towards the vertical walls, and hoped they belonged to the animals Cyane had told her about, the ones she was to find up there. Being chamois' or not, Xena memorized the spot, marking the location of the path she was to take in the morrow, losing no time in looking for a shelter and take care of the wounds before she fell unconscious on the ground.

Luckily for her, there was a rock shelter not far from there. Sparing one last look at the area where she'd seen the trail, Xena went to the cave, thinking about those animals and what Cyane had told her regarding them them, the dwellers of the White Peaks. They looked like goats, but of a slightly bigger size, and their fur was of a light brown, almost golden, with a white strip along their front line, as if they'd been touched by snow. Cyane had spoken with great respect about those animals, who she had seen the one time she'd been honored to help carry the body of Penthesilea. Wolves, bears and vultures shared the lands with the chamois, the spiritual guides for the amazons up there. They knew their paths and showed them to the cave. Cyane had also told Xena that those unworthy were mislead, and never found their way back.

Once inside the cave, Xena lit a fire with the few dry wood she'd found near the entrance of the shelter and unrolled the skin where she kept her healer's kit and took the knife, the needle and the thread. Slowly, she unfastened the bandage and took her leathers off, letting her eyes check her naked body, bruised and filled with cuts. Grimly, she poured water to clean the dried blood, which caused severe pain and made the arrow wound start bleeding again. Once it was cleaned, she made sure patiently and thoroughly with the sterilized knife that there was no fragment of the weapon inside before she took the needle and stitched it from both sides. She knew she should've cauterized it, but chances were she would pass out from the pain, and that she couldn't afford right now. With some luck she would keep an infection at bay, at least before she had Gabrielle to take care of it, and if she didn't get to her… An infection was as good a way to die as any other.

But each thing at its own time. Xena focused on the task at hand and spent as much as she considered necessary treating the other wounds, tightening a bandage over her torso, knowing some fissured ribs had broken during her ride.

Rising, she went to grab the trout. It didn't smell that much, and that meant it was edible. She cleaned it and put it on the fire as she took the leathers and placed them close to the heat for them to dry. Another sneeze caused a jolt of pain on her side. "Damn," she hissed. "Should've brought the cloak, Gabrielle's gonna have a fit when she sees me." The affirmation was hopeful and painful at the same time. Refusing to lose herself in such thoughts, Xena focused on cooking and eating the fish.

The pain had subsided a little when, clean, dry and fed, Xena stood up and walked to the cave entrance, her eyes set on the summits. Reaching in, she sought for the calm she'd attained in Chin, emptying herself from emotions, and breathed, knowing she would need strength that she didn't have right now, and looking for the strongest source of her preternatural strength. Gabrielle. After all, Lao Ma hadn't been completely right. Sometimes she did need desire.

She opened her eyes again. Soon she would start her way up. Xena turned back inside and set herself near the fire. She had a long day before her and everything to lose if she failed.

_**OOO**_

Gabrielle had lost notion of time. Countless hours had passed, but how many of them, she didn't know. Her arrow wound and the sprained ankle didn't matter anymore, and her mind was set on the crystals, which were already nearing her breasts. Controlling her breath had been her primal concern as nothing she'd done to free herself had worked so far. She was trapped with no way out, and still she didn't know why.

Not even Ares had dared to answer her call. If he was not going to get her out, at least tell her who had put her in there.

Her muscles hurt from forced stillness, and she could no longer move her legs, neither her waist to warm them up. She'd started having cramps some time ago.

But Xena would come. She would.

Another drop of water was heard. The river flowed. The crystals moved again.

_**OOO**_

The limestone wall grew vertically, taunting her already beaten and tired body, and the sea of clouds, like she'd heard from Cyane, indeed hid the top peaks from sight.

Xena walked to the spot where she'd seen the animal tracks and followed them towards her destination, the cave 'where darkness reigned and water spoke. Where the unwanted stranger fell to death'. The path to follow was a narrow trail swirling and sliding between large blocks. Xena carried her whip, chakram, dagger and the healer's kit, as well as a pouch filled with water. She had left the sword hidden in the cave, as she'd needed the scabbard to put inside two branches and the fire making stones.

The trail was steep, but she did not care. Gabrielle was somewhere past those mountains, inside one of the peaks, and she needed to get to her before it was too late. _Damn you, Xena, damn you for setting her on this path_. A mocking snort rang inside her head. _As if she would let you chase her away_. _As if you wanted her to go_. No. By some sick whim of the Fates, Gabrielle had set her heart on her, making Xena the most undeservingly lucky person in the whole world, because, somehow, that heart had chosen her, had given the warrior a place for her to crawl into and feel… Love. And be loved in return.

No. No one would take her away.

Amid the morning mist, a pair of legs quickened their pace and a feral look, anew with resolve, defied all the gods in Olympus to stop her.

_**OOO**_

_Her words, the hesitance, had been in her head ever since. It put her wo__rld upside down. Xena hadn't shied away from showing Gabrielle her affection, especially in critical situations._

_A word here and there, a kiss goodbye when she married Perdicus… But the word 'love'… Even if she had managed to disguise it at the last minute with a clumsy change of words… Gods, her heart still beat fast. She had said 'love'. Xena had told her she loved…_

_Wow._

_And then, except when she needed to pull the warrior side of her on the front to fight the Horde's leader in order to force the village, she'd…it had been different. Xena had grown silent on their way out, her eyes lost._

_Gabrielle liked to think Xena hadn't forgotten her words, and realized she didn't want her friend to feel embarrassed. And that she wanted too, to tell her how much she loved her because, as the warrior had secretly admitted that against her will, she didn't know either how much she was loved back._

_Now, sitting by the fire letting the familiar sound of Xena's sword being sharpened, Gabrielle found herself not caring much about writing their terrifying and exciting adventure with the Horde as much as she cared about talking to Xena, who had recovered her stoicism. As the bard stood up and walked towards her, she wished it was only a façade._

_Only when she sat down and saw her face reflected on the blade, did Gabrielle realize she had been smiling all along. The knowledge made her blush a little, but she encouraged herself to go on, before the Warrior Princess sank back again in her shell. "Xena…"_

"_Hmm?" Xena responded absentmindedly, still focused on her task._

"_Yesterday night, when I was taking care of that man…"_

_A slight flinch. Gabrielle opted to ignore it, the only way she could get away with it. _

_Xena stood silent for a moment before she gathered enough courage to ask. "What about it?"_

"_I love you too." _

_Xena stopped sharpening the sword. Gabrielle stopped breathing. The world stopped turning. And it all became simple and logical when those startled blue eyes looked back at her, knowing fully what had Gabrielle meant by that. Words were no longer difficult to fish. "You are the most incredible and beautiful thing that has happened in my life. Ever. And I don't think anything in the world can top that." Then she leaned on her and gave Xena a quick, shy kiss._

_Leaving the Warrior Princess completely speechless for the first time since she knew her._

Her first kiss. Gabrielle smiled at the memory. Many moons and horrible things had happened since that honest and innocent set of words. But they still felt true.

Xena would come, she had no doubt of that, but…would she make it in time?

A tear made its way down her face, but a smile defied it to darken her heart. She would die soon, Gabrielle knew that to be a very plausible reality now, but the moving crystal crawling up her body and the cold cave would not freeze it. Neither her soul, for it would have to be the one keeping Xena alive if she was not there anymore.

She was not afraid.

_**OO**__**OOO**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 9**_

Not a candlemark had passed when Xena reached the mountain valley, now opening before her eyes, above the sea of clouds she'd crossed on her way up. Here the sun shone, but the altitude made the temperature cold. Xena took the pouch and drank some water, visually surveying the peaks rising in front of her, looking for one Cyane had described in detail.

West to the range in shape of a horse's back she was to find a different peak, one that stood alone, flat on its summit and impossible to climb. Its insides sheltered the cave. Finding the peak was easy, but Xena knew there was a catch. She needed to be guided there, and as far as the spirits were concerned, she probably still was the slayer of Amazons.

She closed her eyes and became very silent, opening her other senses to let the surroundings become familiar. Rockslides on the slopes, birds flying above her head, no trees swinging their leaves. Her ears searched for animals. Wolves and bears to avoid. Chamois to follow.

Nothing.

Xena contained a scream and calmed herself, opening her eyes again. No chamois to be seen. "Alright," she said to the wind. "I'll find it myself if I must." And started to walk, unsure but determined, towards the huge masses of limestone silently awaiting for her.

_**OOO**_

_Solan smiled, proud of his work_. _"Hey, Xenan, look at this!," he said calling the little centaur, who came willingly with his usual smile, which faded a little when he looked at the egg with a frown._

"_Solan, that's the same thing you've been drawing lately. 'S boring," he protested._

_Solan chuckled. The poor boy had been shown all his drafts thinking, from the very first one, that each drawing was the real thing. "I was practicing for this one," he said showing him his work. "See? I've done it on a goose egg."_

"_I see." Xenan looked at him and blinked. "It's silly," he said before leaving, "you did it right the first time you drew them."_

_Solan smiled, knowing the boy's negative didn't come from anything else than childish attitude. What mattered was that it was not silly for him. He carefully placed the egg with the others, and sat, silently regarding them, __those first eggs he had brought, thinking foolishly that he had saved the ducks. Each time he painted one he was paying tribute to the dead. The ducks. Sometimes, tears in his eyes, a centaur… With trembling hands, his mother and father, as Kaleipus had described them to him. But this had been the first time he had ever felt the need of painting alive people. And he had wanted to do it right, as much as he had done with his parents, and that's why he had practiced that much with Xena and Gabrielle, forcing his memory to remember, as much as he could, the little details, because the faces… he'd smile. Those faces were hard to forget, especially Gabrielle's smile and Xena's eyes. Because the warrior had smiled so little… She had been sad most of the time. But she had proved to him that she was not evil, at least not anymore, and had helped them, and they'd become friends, and…_

_Solan hadn't been able to explain it. He simply had felt the need to keep them in his memory, and honor their courage and generosity painting them._

_Xena looked a little like his mom, he noticed._

_**OOO**_

Xena kept walking up the slopes of the mountains. There was a trail, she guessed, made by the amazons to carry their queens. The path was hard, with lots of grit that more than once made her battered body almost slip and lose balance.

But no sign of the chamois, and she didn't know what that meant. Putting all her fears aside, she kept walking towards the peak.

And suddenly, in the distance, she saw the animals. Just as Cyane had described them. Xena ran towards the end of the slope she was on, and stood at the edge of the small crest. A small group gathered near a patch of snow like the few she'd started to see as she gained altitude. She took a leap and descended the crest towards the last mountain valley that stood between her and the peak, and walked slowly never getting her eyes off the animals.

Then suddenly, they saw her and all ran away except for one. Xena froze and held her breath. It was the guide, the one that would decide if she was worthy of entering that cave.

Xena stood very still and very quiet as she saw the animal approaching, and then decided to kneel, slowly, careful of not scaring it, presented her weapons, putting them in front of her, and took off her armor too. And then believed. Believed she deserved to be shown the cave's entrance, because the woman she loved the most in this world was there, waiting for her, depending on her. And let her heart fill with that love, and cracked it open for the chamois to see.

And she cried silent tears when a surge of emotion hit her as if a wave had broken on her with full force, taking her breath away.

When she dared opening her eyes, she found the animal hadn't left, remaining right in front of her, dismissing the weapons, ignoring the armor, and looking at her. Seeing her.

"I need to save your queen," she whispered. _I need to save my world._

The animal stood in that position for some moments, and then, suddenly, it backed a few steps. Xena held her breath and waited for the next move, pleading with silent eyes.

The chamois looked back at her, then at her weapons and stood there, waiting. Waiting for her!

Her whole body trembling with emotion, Xena gathered her weapons and armor and followed it towards the entrance of the cave.

There were not enough gods in the entire world to thank.

_**OOO**_

_**Amazon village.**_

The altar was meaningless now, and only one place seemed to make sense for Ephiny to pray to someone that her friends were ok.

She had never really noticed how accurately Solan had painted them in such a difficult support.

She had been able to keep the amazons at bay, as well as the council after her encounter with Xena. Nothing was clear on their fate now, but Ephiny kept her faith and returned to her hut, to spend the waiting time in there, with her son.

"Will they come back, mom?"

_Only together. _"I believe they will, Xenan."

_I believe they will._

_**OOO**_

Gabrielle filled the time she had left with memories of them. After all, she had lived a hundred lives in less than three winters. Just like she had wished, from the very first day with the same enthusiasm as she had announced Lila she would go with Xena.

Lila. She hadn't said goodbye to her. Or her parents.

The crystals reached her throat.

Little time left now.

_**OOO**__**OO**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

**Notes: **Thanks again for the comments and favorites! WOW :)

_**Chapter 10**_

Xena inspected the narrow entrance of the cave. She was going to have to crawl inside, and light the fire once the space widened, for a current of wind blowing from the interior of the gallery seemed to make carrying fire on narrow spaces rather dangerous.

Xena turned to the chamois and bowed her head. "Thank you," she whispered. The animal looked at her one last time and left.

The warrior wasted no time and entered the cave, soon finding herself in a chamber where at least she could sit up. Using daylight for as long as she could, she furthered inside until she decided she would have to lit the torch, using the branches and cloth from the blood-stained bandages she'd changed at night. Then she carefully readjusted the chakram and the knife, and secured on her waist, as much as her aching torso let her, the pouch with water and the healer's kit.

The cave's walls forced Xena to turn right, then left, and she followed them, finding in front of her another narrow pass, after which the cave opened into a bigger chamber where she could finally stand without fear of cracking her head open with a stalactite.

And then the light from her torch revealed her eyes why the cave was known to send the unworthy falling into their death. The ground ended abruptly, and a vertical fall awaited. A very rudimentary rope was the only clue showing her she hadn't been misled. The only thing she hadn't counted on was the deep growl right behind her. Xena went still and slowly turned her head backwards. A huge bear, dweller of the cavity, stood before her.

Xena took a sharp breath and studied her options quickly. She was in sacred amazon territory, and knew that every creature within was to be respected. The bear, however, didn't wait for her to make a decision, and with a roar extended its paw, carving four lines on the warrior's arm, who opened her hand in wrong reflex and lost the torch. Xena cried in pain and grabbed the hurting area. Now, without a light and with no other way out than the void behind her, she tried to remember where the rope lied and leaped into the darkness, calculating the distance and extending her arms, breathing when her hands made contact with the rope. Her arms and shoulders burned from the jolt, but she managed to grab the rope while she heard the bear growling from the distance.

Slowly and ignoring the pain, Xena started descending using her hands, and soon got to the ground, yet lost in darkness. Extending her arms, she checked the space. Cyane had mentioned a huge gallery, and only one direction to follow. She let her hands trace the wall and guide her, and when she figured out the direction, she made sure she stood on the left side of the path, for she knew that another fall awaited her, this time leading the warrior directly to Gabrielle.

_**OOO**_

_The good memories drown the bad ones, Xena, I hope you find that out when I am gone. Gods, I hope you know this when you find me and I'm…_

The notion of her friend arriving too late had been the only thought keeping Gabrielle anguished about the increasingly certain possibility of dying in the cave.

The crystals moved one last time, closing over her head. The physical feeling was odd. She was encased, could not see, and heard nothing but silence, but she had air to breathe.

_Maybe for a little time_, she thought.

Gabrielle closed her eyes and prepared for the end, biding Xena a silent goodbye.

_I love you._

_**OOO**_

The gallery was not very long. When Xena reached the end, she carefully stepped towards the other side until she found the chasm, and probed the edge until she found the rope.

Loosing no time, the warrior went down, knowing each step led her closer to Gabrielle, and hoping that, whatever Artemis had done to her, it wasn't too late.

Once inside that lower gallery, she knew there were two possible directions. Now there wasn't time to lose, and the warrior knew she needed to gather something before getting to Gabrielle, not knowing if that was the way she was supposed to go.

Determined, she turned left and breathed in relief when Cyane's description fit reality. She found herself walking among big blocks, and soon a faint glow was revealed in t he distance. Xena quickened her steps, a bit later finding herself on the queens' chamber.

It was a small area naturally shaped by the cave's walls. Xena could see two skeletons, one of them recognized easily as the queen that Cyane had helped bringing inside to her eternal rest. There was no remain of her clothes, but the amethyst pendant still glowed. Xena knelt beside the silent body.

"I killed Cyane, queen of the amazons, to whom you trusted your knowledge and power. She was worthy of all of them. I am not worthy of forgiveness for what I did, nor am I here to ask for it, but inside this cave is one who deserves no suffering." She paused. "I don't know why, but the Fates determined I should know of this place, and here I am, unworthy of the honor." She extended her hand slowly, with great care, towards the pendant. "My name is Xena. I ashamed your nation, I killed your kind and felt no remorse for a long time. And now I come to you and take this pendant to guide me," she said carefully taking the stone. "I will not return ever again, neither I will shame the amazons, and once the queen is safe, I will subject myself to your nation's will," she promised solemnly. "Please show me in which direction is Gabrielle," she begged whispering as she took hold of the stone.

The pendant glowed and, driven by some invisible force, its end signaled forward. With no more time to lose, and using the light from the magical pendant as a guidance, Xena ran, hoping she was not too late.

The gallery was longer than the others, but with a high ceiling and not big obstacles that allowed her to run most of the way, soon reaching her destination, her heart sinking at the sight.

_**OOO**_

Ares stormed in the Fate's chamber, where the three women stood, as always, each to their task. "You said she would not die before her sacrifice!," he snarled.

The Fates looked at him in silence.

"What, no speech in canon now? Cat bit your tongue?"

"No. The Goddess threatened to destroy their loom if they said a word," said another voice.

Ares looked as Artemis came out from her hiding, wearing that irritating smug look.

"You thought I wouldn't keep a close look on you, brother?," she said as Ares shot her a glare. "This is my game, you don't get to play in it anymore, so I guess you will have to sit and watch." She leaned on the wall. "Besides, now we're getting to the best part. I wonder how will your warrior get out of this one."

Ares straightened, hands closed into fists. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I so hope Xena saves Gabrielle, Artemis, so you finally see what kind of fire you're playing with."

_**OOO**_

Alone, at the end of the gallery lay what seemed a sculpture of amethyst. Only it was not a piece of art, but a case that kept a human being inside.

Xena ran to her side, frantically checking the surface for a dent, something from where she could start breaking the rock to free her. "Gabrielle, I'm here, can you hear me?" The bard made no sign of noticing her presence. It was as if she were asleep. Loosing no time, Xena took her chakram and hit the side of the amethyst with all her might. And didn't even make a scratch. "Hang in there, Gabrielle, hang in there!"

She tried everything. Her fists, her feet, her knife, the chakram. Nothing worked. "Artemis!" Xena cried in desperation, but got no answer. "I did what you told me, I found her! Now take her back!"

Silence.

"DAMN YOU!"

Her cry echoed in the cave until silence reclaimed its throne, leaving the warrior alone again. _Come on, Xena, think, there must be a way, you didn't get this far to fail her now. THINK!_

Brute force had proven useless, and the only tool she had was her knowledge. Xena searched in her memories, and soon remembered the second thing Cyane had said about the caves: 'where the waters spoke.' Caught up in freeing Gabrielle, she had ignored her surroundings, but once listening, her ears caught the sounds of the water. After one of their extended visits to Amazon lands, Gabrielle had compiled some of their stories, and had told Xena about them as she practiced her bardic craft, as she called one of their source of income. One of the stories was about the beings that dwelled in rivers and lakes, keeping treasures hidden from the greed of mortals. Perhaps the legends were true, and the stream running inside the cave system was one of them.

She had nothing to lose.

Xena stood silent and listened to the flow of the water. Moments passed, and suddenly, the sounds began to take shape, to make sense. First like distant voices, then one, clearly defined from the rest.

"You hurt."

_**OOOOO**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 11**_

Xena opened her eyes startled. A transparent woman with breathtaking features floated in front of her, with her chesnutt hair swinging around her naked body in a flawless motion. "You hurt," she repeated, her translucent eyes fixed on the warrior's.

"My friend is dying."

The woman looked down at the amethyst case, and nodded once in thought. "Elders gave the rock my name to honor my memory."

Amethyst.

Xena had heard the legend of the woman encased in such crystal by Artemis to protect her from Dyonisus, who, filled with regret, would later give the white stone its purple color.

The woman eyed Gabrielle and smiled sadly, her face lost in a memory that mortals had learned as an old tale. "I remember being very tired, and then nothing." She looked back at Xena. "It doesn't hurt."

Her words alarmed the warrior. "I don't care. I want her out."

"Is she not meant to be there?"

_Were you?_, thought the warrior, opting to keep that opinion to herself. She shook her head negatively instead. "No, she doesn't."

Amethyst regarded her in silence, ignoring Xena's increasing nerves. "I only know of one goddess who would do such a thing. Has she not acted with reason?"

"Would my truth be enough for you to free her?"

Amethyst thought her answer, unsure about this stranger's intentions, despite the open honesty that her pleading eyes seemed to display. "Should I?"

The question was not an ill-natured one, and still felt like a stab on the back. Xena bit back her tongue and took a deep breath to calm herself, thinking about Gabrielle's well-being as her compass. "Artemis put her in there. Gabrielle is the queen of the amazons, and the goddess decided it was time to test–"

"No one can escape that crystal," said Amethyst interrupting her. "What kind of test would this be?," she asked, again in honest curiosity.

"How long does Gabrielle have?"

"Enough for you to answer my questions."

She did not choose an aggressive tone, but her voice was firm, and Xena dared not to chase the being away. "I'm her champion. It is not only her who she is testing."

Amethyst looked at her. "Her champion, you say. You do not wear amazon attires. How is that you wield such title?"

"Because she chose me," said Xena. "Because she is my friend and she trusted her life on my hands. Because I would die for her." _A thousand times at once if I had to._

Transparent eyes bore into Xena for a long silent moment. "Your love for her transcends life itself." It wasn't a question.

"Will you tell me how to free her?"

Instead of answering, Amethyst looked inside again, and Xena saw the changes in her face. The warrior felt naked before her, and surrendered, opening her heart and soul to the being. She would see bad things, for sure, but the warrior made certain she got a pretty clear idea of where her heart lay now. _Look inside, woman, take a long hard look inside and you will see Gabrielle in me too. And see her value and how much greater her life is than mine._

The woman's eyes opened wide. "I saw your memories," she said. "You didn't block them."

"No."

"Some terrified me. And yet, I looked and I felt overwhelmed by the love you feel inside for this woman." Then she shook her head in confusion. "And yet you let the past haunt you," she said looking back at Xena. "It saddens me."

"I did all those things you saw," said Xena. "And more. Remembering keeps me away from going back there."

"And you refuse to forgive yourself."

"What I do or don't do does not matter. Tell me how to save her."

"You will be presented with opportunity to be forgiven, and you will turn your back on it."

"Gabrielle," insisted Xena. "What does she have to do with that?"

"She's your pillar. And she craves that which you forsake."

Xena knew. It was all related to Gabrielle's nightmare the previous night, that truth the bard failed to tell her. "I forgave her," was all she could say. _And she knows I did. And she's not the only one to blame for what happened._

"But has she forgiven herself?"

Xena fell silent.

The figure came closer. "She has not, has she?"

Xena looked down. "No," she said quietly. "She has not."

"I learned one thing during my confinement," said Amethyst. "No one should go when there is chance of righting one's wrongs."

Xena held her breath, never losing sight of Gabrielle.

"I have seen many lost within the darkness of this crystal," continued Amethyst. "Your friend is not the first, and I'm afraid won't be the last."

"Will you free her?" Xena's voice was a thread.

"I can help you get her out of that case, but to live…to really _live_…that she must do by herself."

"Then give us a chance," asked Xena. "Free her!"

Amethyst extended her arm pointing towards Xena's neck. "The pendant you hold as candle. It was blessed by Artemis for the carrier's eternal rest. Use it to make a dent and let the waters enter," she said looking down the chasm.

Xena followed the direction of the eyes and opened hers wide in terror. She could not see the bottom despite the glow emanating from the pendant and from Amethyst herself. "She'll drown!"

"Not if you safe her first and she has a will to live," said Amethyst, looking at the turmoil tormenting the warrior, reflected in her eyes. "You have brought her from the dead before. Believe you can do it again."

Xena looked at her as Amethyst began to fade, the being's last words echoing in her mind. The last thing that disappeared were her eyes, who had been reached by her smile.

And Xena believed. And knew that her love had no ceiling.

_**OOOOO**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 12**_

_**The Fates' chamber.**_

Ares let the smirk stay firm on his face. "Looks like you lose, sis."

"We all lose, Ares," she replied. "We all lose in the end."

Ares eyed the Fates, and the fact that the scissor was no longer on either thread. "Not me." His debt with Gabrielle was still intact. He grinned. "I'm out," he said snapping his fingers and disappearing from the place.

"You fool." Artemis left the chamber, following her brother's trail, no longer interested on seeing what was going on inside that cave, knowing that if a god gave the mortal free will within the game, the god could no longer intervene. It was in Xena's and Gabrielle's hands now.

_**OOO**_

Determined, Xena took the whip and tied herself to the crystal from her back, feeling the cold surface making contact with her skin. Then, taking the pendant, she closed her eyes and hit the amethyst with it, then examined the area with her fingers. The woman had told the truth, she realized exhaling; there was a little hole on it. Walking towards the edge, Xena left the pendant there, where it belonged, took air in her lungs and jumped into the void.

She began sinking from the heavy weigh as soon as she reached the subterranean river, the stream surprisingly deep. Feeling the pressure of the water in her insides increasing, she quickly unfastened the whip and turned, never letting go of the crystal, which, true to Amethyst's words, began to dissolve. Xena took advance of the decreasing weight and started swimming up to the surface to lessen the pressure, with Gabrielle firmly secured in her arms as soon as the crystal disappeared. But the bard wasn't breathing.

Without wasting time, Xena gave her the little air she had left, just in the same way as she had done in that temple in Thessaly. When she reached the surface and could breathe again, Xena threw her whip, hoping the weapon would find something to grab onto and hold herself and the still unconscious Gabrielle near the walls to prevent any unwanted blow that could worsen their situation by crashing their bodies against the hard rock.

But first things first. Once steadied, Xena put all her efforts on making Gabrielle breathe, insufflating air into her lungs. "Come on, Gabrielle, you can do it." She repeated the action several times, her worried eyes desperate to be able to see her face again, but pitch black darkness forcing her to use her hearing to orientate and keep them alive. "Come on Gabrielle, we didn't get this far to lose now, breathe!" Air inside, a pause, no movement from the bard, air inside. Pause. Air inside. Hit her chest. Nothing. "Breathe, Gabrielle! Dammit, br–!" The body in her arm shook violently, and the following coughs revealed Xena her friend was back at last.

Gabrielle coughed out water. Why was she doing that? Where…? Confused, still in the dark and making effort to recover her breathing, the bard tried to assess the situation. She was inside a river, free from the crystal, but still trapped by– Then she realized. It was warm all around her, and a very familiar scent flooded her nostrils. "Xena!" Her hands freed form the embrace firmly holding her, eager to touch the face she felt smiling, too much water running on her skin to know if some of it were tears. She heard a long sigh, and felt the protective albeit trembling arm holding her, closing tight.

Whispered words. "I thought I'd lose you."

"I knew you'd come."

"The gods themselves couldn't keep me from you."

Xena held her tight, and Gabrielle suspected her friend's statement hadn't been an exaggeration.

She hugged her back.

_**OOO**_

_**Amazon village.**_

Artemis had not returned. Not to her, neither the other amazons. Ephiny had taken that absence as a good sign, suspecting the goddess would've come without hesitation is Xena and Gabrielle had died.

Clymene had found her still beside Xenan, now asleep, before the little table supporting the painted eggs. Not wanting to stir her son from his dreams, Ephiny had risen and guided the shamaness outside for a walk.

"Your son has a gift with art," commented the elder as they exited the hut.

"They are not Xenan's," responded Ephiny. "Solan painted them."

"Xena's son," came the quiet voice.

Ephiny nodded. "Xenan is waiting for her to return so he can give them to her."

"Solan. A most tragic loss."

And unfair. And painful. Ephiny sighed, tired. "The village seems calm," she finally said, looking around. "May I safely assume no amazon has sent herself in any other search mission against Xena?"

A nod. "You may. Not a tracking Amazonian butt has moved itself from the village."

"Good." Still… "Where do we go from here?"

"Wise question, Ephiny," said Clymene. "Where do you think?"

Ephiny considered her answer carefully, and tried to respond as honestly as she could. "Our nation stands on feeble ground. I thought Velasca's banishment was the end of factions, but it only took one word from Artemis to make some of them directly disobey the regent queen's command."

"You forget Artemis is a goddess, and many here believe in her."

"I'm not saying we should forsake the Gods," replied Ephiny. "Only that we should have more faith in ourselves. Xena and Gabrielle should be an example to follow, not to destroy," she added quietly. A hand touched her shoulder, and Ephiny raised her eyes to meet Clymene's warm smile.

"Our queen chose her regent very wisely," she said letting a glint of pride reach her eyes. "And I am most certain that the warrior will love that gift her son left her as his own little legacy."

_**OOO**_

Xena held Gabrielle close, sinking in her scent and the comfort that her breathing brought, but she knew they had to move quickly. Without a warning, something else decided for the warrior. Her whole body tensed at the creaking sound and all her alarms rang as she felt the whip lose its hold and fall in the water, still attached to the broken stalactite. Not even time to curse. The current's force shook them away from the wall. "Gabrielle, hold on to me!" Unsure of where the turbulent waters would take them, Xena shifted and turned, putting her back on the front to protect Gabrielle and used her powerful legs to guide them back to the wall, extending her free arm to try and grab solid rock again.

Gabrielle understood what the warrior was doing, very aware of the danger. "Xena no, you'll–" A loud sound cut her short. And suddenly, the arm holding her loosened its grip, and the Warrior Princess slipped away from her. "XENA!"

_**OOOOO**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

_**Chapter 13**_

A sharp edge from a wall had hit Xena on the back of the head, leaving the warrior unconscious, dragging her into the depths from where she had fought so hard to get out.

"XENA!" Gabrielle, ignoring the the strength of the current and cramps still claiming her body after the time spent in confinement, defied the forces of nature and dove in, pushing her legs into the depth and extending her arms, seeking Xena with no other help that her will. And her will guided her to the warrior. Gabrielle's hand closed firmly around Xena's wrist as it made contact, and the bard turned and moved her legs even harder towards the surface.

Xena would not die today.

_**OOO**_

_**Ares' lair.**_

"Gotta say, as much as I want to hate her, blondie has some guts." He looked at Artemis. "Come on, sis," he said smiling in satisfaction, "admit you were wrong about her."

"I was not, Ares. They are a danger to us, and you still don't see it," she said, no longer able to do a thing about the situation.

"Well," he said as he stretched lazily. "Too bad for you, I guess, because my interests remain unscathed, and your amazons now seem a lovely target to remind them of Rome's dangerous advancement." Ares smirked in delight. "Those three Romans… they might have changed my name, but still are giving me the chills with their conquers. I wonder what would happen if amazon territory stood in their way."

"Is that all you care about? You and your wars?"

Ares looked at her. "No. I also care about the cult growing around Dahak, a god you and Dad seem to insistently ignore."

Artemis smirked. "Apparently lesser gods will do the work for us."

A bolt of energy coming right out of Ares' hand ended their conversation. Both siblings shared one last look before Artemis, unharmed from the attack, disappeared.

Some families were just not meant to be.

_**OOO**_

Gabrielle managed to keep them both together, and had taken advantage of the current's lesser force beneath the surface to reach the walls again, resurfacing with a hold on the rock in a small sheltered corner. Tracing the outline of the solid surface she carefully placed Xena against it as support while she quickly checked on her with her hands. The warrior had a pulse and was breathing, she found out relieved, but a careful probe around her revealed a gash opened on the back of her head, surely the blow that had rendered Xena unconscious.

"Xena, can you hear me?" She didn't respond. "Xena, come on, I need you awake, we have to get out of here, we…"

But Xena was out, and considering the seriousness of the wound, Gabrielle figured she didn't have much time to lose.

"Guess you did your part, now it's my turn." The bard assessed the situation. They seemed to be on the river she had heard flowing inside the cave. If they were there it was for a reason, and because Xena knew there was a way out from there. Well, all rivers flowed somewhere, and that somewhere at some point led to open air. "I hope that was your thought, Xena."

Taking hold of the warrior, Gabrielle slowly settled her body so she could make them both advance along the wall using her hand and feet, following the current's direction as she let the rest of her body to keep them together and as secured as she could.

The way out seemed long, but Gabrielle, determined to take them out, kept advancing, pressing Xena's body against her to make sure the warrior was still breathing. And then, at last, Gabrielle saw the light of day again. The river seemed to calm down as it widened, no longer strained by the narrowness of the cavity it crossed. Once outside, Gabrielle swam towards the riverbank, holding on to the soil as she pulled Xena towards it with the arm that had been keeping the warrior by her side. Then she propelled herself out of the water and ignoring the jolt of pain she received when her sprained ankle hit the ground, she dragged Xena out of the river, and kneeled exhausted by her side, breathing heavily. "We did it, we did it."

Gabrielle took a moment to gather herself and immediately after turned to Xena, wincing at the sight of blood and all the wounds and bruises covering the warrior's body. Not all of them from the river. "Gods, Xena what did you get through to…" The bard swallowed and gently turned the warrior on her side, easing the way for her lungs to breathe and allowing her to check on the head wound. "You are going to be alright, Xena, I promise."

Xena thought she heard a voice. It sounded like Gabrielle's, but it couldn't be, Gabrielle was still trapped, and—Her eyes opened wide, and Xena cursed as the daylight forced her to close them after so much time in the dark.

"Hey."

But her ears didn't fool her, did they? "G—Gabrielle?"

"You came for me," said the voice from behind.

"Gab–" A gentle kiss on her temple confirmed the identity of the presence beside her. Xena didn't care any longer if her eyes hurt. She opened them again and this time refused to close them. She was there, Gabrielle was there, alive. Ignoring the pain everywhere she sat up and hugged her as tight as her body let her.

"Thank you," whispered Gabrielle in her ear.

"I'm so sorry, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle broke the embrace carefully, and looked at Xena with confusion. "For what?"

_Where to start?_

But the truth was that they were both exhausted. "Look, Xena, I don't care. I just… Gods, I missed you so much." Gabrielle returned the hug, unaware of the surprise written on the warrior's face.

_Not a 'what happen__ed'? That she'd been afraid she would die? Just that she missed me? _ "I… Artemis appeared, she…she took you here and…," she tried to explain.

Gabrielle's answer was firm, as her determined eyes revealed when she looked back at the warrior. "I don't care, Xena. I'm tired of the Gods testing us. I've had it with them."

The warrior found a smile within. Shy, but real. "They didn't beat us."

"But the price isn't worth it. Xena, you're hurt everywhere," she said examining again the battered form in front of her. "And you're still bleeding from that head wound."

Xena touched the back of her head carefully and brought back her hand stained in red. "Hurts like Tartarus," she admitted.

"Did you really have to get us out like this?," said Gabrielle sparing a glance to the river.

"Believe me, Gabrielle, the scenic route wasn't that good either."

"Come on, you need a healer."

"I'm good," responded Xena automatically. A very annoying sneeze reminded her otherwise. She hardly contained a cry of pain from the spasm caused by the sneezing on her side and ribs. Only the warmth of Gabrielle's hand on her face seemed to calm the soreness, discomfort and twinges all over her body. "Argo shouldn't bee to far," she finally said. With all she'd descended, and the course downwards that the river took from the cave, as much as she'd been able to see, revealed the water came out at the feet of the mountain range. "And I should have my healer's kit with me," she added, already checking with her hands.

"I got it," said Gabrielle holding the pouches. Gabrielle helped Xena get up as they walked. "Where to?"

"Amazon land," came the quiet response.

"Are you sure?," asked Gabrielle carefully. "I know we talked about it but…"

"We both need a healer, and I owe Ephiny one heck of an explanation. And to the rest of the village too."

They walked three steps.

"We go there, a single amazon dares to lift a word against you and they will start talking directly to my staff. Got me?," she said looking at Xena, keeping her face as blank as she could. "Are you worried about it? About seeing the amazons after…?"

Xena considered the answer. "No."

"We do owe the nation news, Xena, especially Ephiny. But not an explanation. Got me?" Then she softened her tone. "At least not before we can give it to ourselves."

Xena stopped walking, and turned her head, meeting Gabrielle's eyes looking at her for a longs silent moment. _I know you're hurting, Gabrielle, I…if only I could–_ Then Xena remembered Amethyst's words. Gabrielle would have to do it alone, but she could show her the way. The temple of Mnemosyne. Resolve anew, the warrior smiled and caressed her face. "First things first, then."

Gabrielle smiled, and returned the kiss, letting it linger for a little while before they resumed their walk, soon finding Argo by the entrance of the cave where Xena had spent the night to take care of the worst wounds and rest a little while. Once taken care of, dry and with Gabrielle by her side everything seemed surmountable.

"Xena?"

Gabrielle's voice took her out of her thoughts. "We're ready to go?," she asked. Gabrielle said nothing, but took her hand and kissed the knuckles. Then the back, and then her lips. Xena noticed Gabrielle hadn't closed her eyes as she kissed her, and smiled after they parted.

"I love you," said the bard.

"I love you."

"Now we're ready to go."

_**OOO**_

_**Amazon village. One day later.**_

Ephiny opened her eyes, her whole body stiff, as she'd fallen asleep on the hut's ground while keeping vigil. "So much for being awake all night," she mumbled as she stretched her limbs. Her eyes caught sight of the eggs, a sad smile drawing on her face.

Such a great child.

"Mom!"

Xenan's voice made her get out of the hut, receiving her son.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Xenan's face was lit with a smile. "The hunt party's just returned. They saw Xena and Gabrielle, coming this way."

_She did it. _Ephiny's smile widened as she stood. "Come on, Xenan, let's go meet them."

Such a great child with such a great mother.

**Fin**.

Thanks to everyone who read, I hope you all enjoyed the fic!

Extra thanks to those who stopped by to comment and letting me know they liked it.

Cheers!


	15. EPILOGUE

**Disclaimer: **not mine.

**Notes: **I had this scene in my head for some time during the writing of the story, but decided not to add it at the end because it didn't work for the closing chapter, only as an epilogue, and still didn't know if adding it to the story, because believe it or not, I was satisfied with the ending you've all read, so I didn't edit it. After that, I've been a tad busy, so no chance of editing a syllable until today (also the reason why the last reviewers with profile (= with link to reply) didn't get reply before). Some of you have been kind enough to let me know that you felt the story lacked something as a constructive critique, so I considered it, decided you were right, sat my butt in the chair and edited the thing. Here's the epilogue of the story.

_**Epilogue**_

_**OOO**_

"_What are you doing?_

_Loving him._

_He'll hear your thoughts._

_I know. Forever and ever."_

'_Return of Callisto'_

_**OOO**_

Ever since being with Xena, greeting a new day had become a significant thing for Gabrielle. With the life they led, even the mere act of slightly opening her eyelids to let the sunlight in was an invitation for potential disasters, outrageous adventures and living nightmares to come in. It didn't mean it was a bad thing.

With each passing day, the sensation of death not being the end for either of them had grown and was nurturing itself in Gabrielle's mind with outstanding ease, strength and clarity.

However, every once in a while, knowing that you would wake up to a safe environment, a day without dangers to fight, wasn't a bad thing either. The first thing Gabrielle noticed was that she was alone. Before all alarms started tolling, she remembered the last event that marked their night and breathed with some relief. A little.

Checking her body's condition, the bard sat up slowly and, naked as she was, uncovered her legs. The ankle looked better, as did the shoulder, but she still felt residual cramps from the time she had spent literally petrified on that cave. Carefully, she stretched her members several times before trusting herself to stand on her own feet, knowing fully well from experience, that the only reason she had been able to dive in to rescue Xena and then ride all the way back to the amazon village had been an extra bonus boost of energy from the terror she'd felt when unconscious, Xena had slipped from her arms in the river. She had been living on extra resources and her body was screaming loud and clear that it would not give her a single bit of anything more until she let it rest.

Putting in a bit of well learned Warrior Princess pride, Gabrielle ignored the pangs and got out of bed, got dressed and exited the hut Ephiny had ordered cleared for them while they stood before the Council of Elders.

The arrival in amazon land had been an exhaustingly tedious meet with traditions, but Ephiny's pleading look when she asked them to attend the extraordinary session of the assembly could be read between the lines as 'I swear on my incorruptible honor that if this damn thing goes on for long and you two are not completely and utterly freed from the amazon nonsense after it, you can throw me into a pit with a very pissed off Xena and close the trapdoor behind you.' So they both agreed and faced the eldest women of the tribe. And they all had something to say, exerting their right to speak and moving their tongues like there was no tomorrow. Gabrielle had contained herself on several occasions; if they only knew what was to feel, really feel like there was no tomorrow, they would probably speak less and act more. A lesson she'd do well in applying too.

Most complained about their questionable loyalty to the amazons, always taking the laws and traditions as reference, on which the queen and her champion were reminded of in several occasions. But in the end, none, absolutely not one of them blamed either woman for what had happened, because truly, no humanly flawed being in the entire planet could stand before them, look them in the eye and proclaim with complete conviction that, in their circumstances, they would've been in complete control.

Then, unprecedented event in the history of amazons, Gabrielle guessed from the wide-eyed regent queen standing there with them, the elders, in unison, apologized for the harm done through Artemis' deceit, and confirmed Xena as the rightful champion of their Queen, granting the warrior every amazonian right according to her rank.

Before any of them could react, the elders were gone. It was over. At least for the amazons. At least from the outside, because neither Gabrielle felt completely ok, certain lies still concealed, neither Xena seemed calm. Quite the contrary, she was tenser than the bard had seen her in a while.

Once they'd been alone after everyone left, Gabrielle, sensing the tension, had asked Xena if she was ok. The warrior had smiled, one of those that didn't reach the eyes, and nodded, telling her that despite it all, she still felt guilty with the amazons. Gabrielle chose not to dig further. Xena was not wearing the 'usual guilt' look, but the much more serious, deep and dark 'it was something very specific that I did in the past' look, the one the bard knew as a sign of hard confession for the warrior, even after all the things Gabrielle already knew. Xena would decide when to tell her, and Gabrielle would swallow it, look at the warrior in the eye and with a smile she would silently tell her she still loved her and she thanked her for opening to her, renewing her own determination to stick by Xena's side no matter what.

Then Ephiny had come, and asked the warrior if she could accompany the regent queen to her hut. Xena, exhausted beyond measure, drained and hurting, was about to say no, but Ephiny's warm smile and the mention of Xenan wanting, really wanting to show her something that she thought Xena would like to see had completely melted her most immediate desires. Ever since she helped him come to this world, the warrior had saved a little special space in her heart for the centaur, who had also become a close friend to Solan, whose name's delicate and quiet mention by Ephiny had automatically turned two tired blue eyes to look at Gabrielle, who smiled, nodded and turned alone towards their hut in full understanding. Xena had not returned since.

Ephiny was outside, when Gabrielle arrived, sitting on the wooden bench built on the front wall of her hut. She looked tired but content, and smiled warmly when she saw her approaching, tapping the wood she was sitting on, inviting Gabrielle to join her, which the bard did, not without some effort.

"Hey, still hurting?"

"For a while, I guess." Gabrielle straightened and pushed her shoulders downwards to stretch her back better. "It'll pass. Is she asleep?"

Ephiny shook her head negatively. "I don't think she slept at all."

"But…"

"Don't worry, Gabrielle. It's not a bad thing."

The bard let out a tiny sigh, too tired to ask but hoping her friend would answer her silent questions. She had had to learn the art of non-verbals to survive her first moons with Xena, but she wasn't sure the amazon regent queen mastered the craft. Thankfully she did. That or Gabrielle was too obvious.

"I…Xenan had kept something that belonged to Solan." Ephiny noticed Gabrielle growing still as she spoke the boy's name. "Did you know he liked to paint?" She smiled. "He was very good at it. He made these sketches…I think Kaleipus had some, you…perhaps you should go to their village, I think he kept them somewhere. Anyway, I don't know the details, but Solan had a collection of painted eggs." Gabrielle was still silent. "Birds, centaurs." Pause. "His parents." Longer pause. "You." A set of surprised green eyes finally raised and met Ephiny's. "That's the last he painted, the one with you and Xena on it."

"Gods." Gabrielle hunched and let her face rest on her palms, soon feeling the warmth of Ephiny's hand rubbing her back.

"Xena loved them, Gabrielle. Especially that last one."

But Gabrielle's throat was up in knots, she couldn't say a word.

"Because, and I quote, her son could see what was there between you with more clarity than she did for a long while, stupid narrow minded proud warrior. Unquote."

_Gods. GODS. _"She doesn't hate me."

"Of course she does not, Gabrielle. She loves you."

And it was as obvious as it sounded on the amazon's lips. "And I her."

"Look, I know you…there is something, there," said Ephiny as her finger gently poked Gabrielle's head, "eating you up. Whatever it is, you can do it together. I think by this time the whole of Olympus and maybe other gods too know that," added the amazon not fully understanding the whole meaning contained in her words, "but right now what I think you need is getting your royal butt inside, get to meet those eggs and drag yourself and Xena back to bed. The rest can wait a little longer."

_**OOO**_

Xena was wide awake when she heard her come in. A whole array of emotions had kept her from sleep since a proud Xenan showed her the little collection of painted eggs, and Ephiny completed the boy's explanations.

She had time to marvel at her son's skill, wonder of what could have been, cry remembering how much she missed him and even smile for she got to know him and her son met her at a time that she was no longer someone to be ashamed of. For she had been given an extraordinary opportunity at asking for forgiveness and finally calling him 'son'. The rest of her night she spent thinking about him. Loving him.

She still was when Gabrielle shyly placed her hand on her shoulder. Xena smiled and took it, gently guiding the bard to come by her side, the younger woman not letting go of the warrior's hand.

Gabrielle kneeled, and remained in silent a little while. "They're beautiful."

"Yes, they are."

"He'll hear your thoughts."

Xena corrected her gently. "Our thoughts." She extended her arm and once more guided Gabrielle, this time into her embrace, relaxing completely by the bard's warmth contacting her skin. "Forever–"

"And ever."

_**OOOOO**_


End file.
